Moffitt: Energy Policy Will Dominate Politics for 25 Years

State Sen. Tim Moffitt told Rutherford County Republicans on Aug. 28 that energy policy will be the defining political issue for the next quarter century, warning that North Carolina faces “a significant deficit” in production as it shifts away from fossil fuels.

Moffitt, who recently took over the Senate’s energy portfolio after Sen. Paul Newton’s resignation, said he has been immersing himself in the subject — including a trip this month to coal mines in West Virginia. “What a fascinating field that is, because that’s going to be the battleground for the next 25 years politically, is over energy,” Moffitt said.

He criticized Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s administration, accusing it of favoring “symbolism over substance” by excluding him from a state energy task force created by executive order. “We have a significant deficit regarding energy production, really caused by the left, by their broad departure from fossil fuels to actually using solar and wind,” Moffitt told the crowd. “We know that those two areas are really not that good for base load energy. So it’s going to be a significant battleground for us moving forward.”

Moffitt also touched on partisan school board elections, calling them an important Republican priority. “That’s the reason why you have partisan school boards,” he said. “Because if you didn’t have partisan school boards, then the Republican Party would be silent when things like this happen. So every race needs to be partisan.” Henderson County School Board Vice Chairman Robert Bridges died on Aug. 4 of heart failure. He was 78. 

Although his visit was brief — he left early for a Henderson County GOP executive committee vote to replace Bridges — Moffitt praised local party members. “The favorite crowd of my three-county district is the Rutherford County crowd,” he said. “Thank you for being the best party in the state of North Carolina.”

Moffitt said he will miss the county GOP’s upcoming Lincoln Reagan Dinner on Sept. 12 but plans to send a video greeting from underground in West Virginia.

Watch the full video of Moffitt's speech here: Exclusive Video – NC State Senator Moffitt on Energy Policy