The year ahead: NC Secretary of Environmental Quality Michael Regan

This essay is one of a series written by Triangle leaders and experts about their visions for a new decade.

For the decade ahead, my hope is that we make significant strides to conquer one of the greatest challenges of our time: climate change.

With Governor Cooper’s leadership, we are already making progress here in North Carolina. Our department released the North Carolina Clean Energy Plan, setting a goal to reduce power sector greenhouse gas emissions 70% by 2030 and attain carbon neutrality by 2050.

Investing in clean energy will create thousands of new jobs and cement our state’s leadership in this emerging global economy. With the innovation and entrepreneurship of North Carolina’s workforce, research and development sectors and our world-renowned higher education system, we can fuel the transition to clean energy for our children and grandchildren.

2019 has been a historic year for DEQ. We ordered Duke Energy to excavate all remaining coal ash impoundments, we are holding Chemours accountable for PFAS and GenX contamination and for the first time in 20 years, the general permit for animal feeding operations is more protective of public health and the environment.

We’ve supported our coastal communities by opposing offshore oil drilling. We’ve made great progress in protecting our fisheries and habitats and we provided $11.6 million in aid to fisherman impacted by Hurricane Florence.

In Executive Order 80, Governor Cooper promised that North Carolina will rebuild stronger and smarter and we’re developing the Resiliency Plan with stakeholder input from across the state. At DEQ, we will continue to make our state sustainable, resilient and worthy for our children to inherit.

Michael Regan is secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality

This story was originally published December 23, 2019 at 5:00 AM.