A North Carolina Green Energy Program

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A North Carolina Green Energy Program

• What do you think?

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Question 1

• Current sources of energy used by power plants
  are leading causes of air pollution. Coal and oil
  create more negative impacts on the environment
  and human health than renewable energy sources
  like wind and solar. In general, how much do you
  know about energy sources, uses, and problems? Do
  you know a lot, some, a little or nothing?

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• Air quality in the western North Carolina
  mountains has experienced problems caused by
  power plants. Air quality is important for
  outdoor recreation, visibility, forest and stream
  health, and human health.

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Question 2

• How important is outdoor recreation in the
  western North Carolina mountains to you? Is it
  very important, somewhat important or not
  important?

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Question 3

• How important is visibility in the western North
  Carolina mountains to you? Is it very important,
  somewhat important or not important?

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Question 4

• How important is forest and stream health in the
  western North Carolina mountains to you? Is it
  very important, somewhat important or not
  important?

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Question 5

• How important is the health of people who live
  in the western North Carolina mountains to you?
  Is it very important, somewhat important or not
  important?

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Question 6

• Air quality in the western North Carolina
  mountains is expected to get worse in the future
  because of population growth. How concerned are
  you about increased air pollution in the western
  North Carolina mountains? Are you very concerned,
  somewhat concerned or not concerned?

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• The main types of air pollution from power
  plants are ozone, acid rain, and small particles.
  Ozone is a colorless gas that affects breathing
  in humans, especially children, the elderly, and
  those with breathing problems.

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Question 7

• How concerned are you about increased ozone
  pollution in the western North Carolina
  mountains? Are you very concerned, somewhat
  concerned or not concerned?

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Question 8

• Acid rain can kill fish in sensitive streams and
  kill trees. How concerned are you about increased
  acid rain pollution in the western North Carolina
  mountains? Are you very concerned, somewhat
  concerned or not concerned?

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Question 9

• Small particles in the air make visibility worse
  and breathing more difficult. How concerned are
  you about increased fine particle pollution in
  the western North Carolina mountains? Are you
  very concerned, somewhat concerned or not
  concerned?

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Question 10

• Now consider a hypothetical Green Energy
  program. The hypothetical program is based on a
  real program that is being considered right now
  by power plants that affect air quality in North
  Carolina. How much have you heard about the real
  program, called the North Carolina Green Power
  program? Have you heard a lot, some, a little or
  nothing?

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Question 11

• With the hypothetical Green Energy Program all
  utility companies in North Carolina would offer
  their customers power generated from renewable
  energy sources such as wind and solar. How
  interested are you in the Green Energy program?
  Are you very interested, somewhat interested or
  not interested?

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Question 12

• The goal of this program would be to get 10 of
  all North Carolina utility customers to sign up.
  In your opinion, how likely do you think it is
  that 10 of all North Carolina utility customers
  would sign up? Do you think it would be very
  likely, somewhat likely, somewhat not likely, or
  not likely at all?

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• If 10 of all North Carolina utility customers
  sign up air quality in the western North Carolina
  mountains would improve. Visibility would
  increase by about 10 miles, the number of streams
  and acres of forest impacted by acid rain would
  decrease by about 10 percent, and the number of
  people who get sick because of breathing problems
  would decrease by about 10 percent.

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Question 13

• In your opinion, how likely do you think it is
  that these goals would be reached? Do you think
  it would be very likely, somewhat likely,
  somewhat not likely, or not likely at all?

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Question 14

• In a voluntary Green Energy program households
  that choose to participate would pay an extra X
  dollar fee each month with their power bills.
  This fee would be fixed and not tax-deductible.
  The fee would cover the higher production costs
  of green energy. Not including water, what is
  your average monthly power bill now?

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• If 10 of all North Carolina utility customers
  sign up for the green energy program air
  pollution would be reduced. Recreation,
  visibility, forest and stream health and human
  health would improve. If you signed up and were
  not satisfied you could cancel the program at any
  time. If less than 10 signed up, the green
  energy program would not have enough customers to
  make it cost effective. The program would stop
  and you would owe no money.

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Question 15

• Suppose you were given the opportunity to
  participate in the green energy program for an
  extra fee of 5 dollars each month. Would you
  sign up for the green energy program?
• YES
• NO
• Dont Know