North Carolina Families Pay More as Stein Pushes Ideological Green Agenda

Governor Josh Stein’s Earth Day stroll through Eno River State Park was a masterclass in political theater. Flanked by park rangers and state officials, Stein waxed poetic about North Carolina’s natural beauty, pledging to preserve it for future generations. The imagery was pristine: a governor communing with nature, championing clean air and water. But beneath the polished rhetoric lies a troubling reality. Stein’s environmental agenda, cloaked in feel-good celebrations, prioritizes ideological mandates over the practical needs of North Carolinians.

Earth Day, now a half-century-old tradition, has morphed from a grassroots call for stewardship into a platform for advancing costly, top-down policies. Stein’s event, joined by Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Pam Cashwell and Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson, was less about tangible conservation and more about signaling a commitment to a green orthodoxy that’s increasingly disconnected from everyday realities. North Carolinians deserve better than symbolic gestures that burden families and businesses while delivering questionable results.

The governor’s rhetoric leaned heavily on the state’s 41 state parks, which draw millions of visitors and generate significant economic activity. Eno River State Park alone is a gem, offering recreation and cultural value. Yet Stein’s focus on photo-ops obscures a deeper issue: these parks, like many across the nation, face chronic underfunding and maintenance backlogs. If Stein truly valued these natural assets, he’d prioritize fiscal discipline over flashy environmental pledges that strain state resources.

What’s at stake here isn’t just a single park or a single day. It’s the broader question of how North Carolina balances environmental goals with economic realities. Stein’s approach, rooted in expansive clean energy mandates and regulatory overreach, risks saddling taxpayers with higher costs while undermining the very prosperity that funds conservation efforts.

Stein’s record as attorney general, touted during the Earth Day event, includes high-profile wins like a $1.1 billion coal ash cleanup settlement and holding polluters accountable for PFAS contamination in the Cape Fear River. These are undeniable achievements. But his pivot to governor has seen a shift from targeted enforcement to sweeping clean energy policies that threaten to destabilize North Carolina’s economy. The Inflation Reduction Act, a federal behemoth driving over $422 billion in clean energy investments, has fueled job growth in states like North Carolina. Yet it’s also saddled consumers with higher energy costs and forced reliance on intermittent renewables like solar and wind.

North Carolina’s push for a clean energy economy, championed by Stein, ignores the state’s robust energy mix, which includes reliable nuclear and natural gas. Federal policies are shifting under President Trump’s second term, with a renewed emphasis on energy reliability and consumer choice. The administration is reevaluating EV mandates and regulatory waivers, recognizing that heavy-handed green policies often harm working families. Stein’s refusal to align with this pragmatic approach leaves North Carolina vulnerable to energy price spikes and grid instability, as seen in states like California where similar policies have led to rolling blackouts.

Advocates for Stein’s agenda argue that clean energy investments create jobs and combat climate change. But the numbers tell a different story. The 406,000 jobs tied to clean energy projects nationwide come at a steep cost: billions in subsidies and tax credits that divert resources from other priorities. In North Carolina, where manufacturing and agriculture drive the economy, forcing businesses to absorb higher energy costs risks job losses in traditional sectors. Stein’s vision of a green utopia overlooks the real-world trade-offs that hit hardest in rural and working-class communities.

North Carolina’s state parks, like Eno River, are economic engines, contributing to the $218 billion generated by parks nationwide in 2019. They support jobs, boost tourism, and provide ecosystem services like flood control. But the reality on the ground is grim. Nationally, parks face a $23 billion maintenance backlog, and North Carolina is no exception. Workforce shortages, exacerbated by budget constraints, have left parks struggling to maintain trails, facilities, and visitor services. Stein’s Earth Day rhetoric about preserving natural beauty rings hollow when his administration fails to address these pressing needs.

Across the country, states like Florida have faced controversial proposals for commercial development in parks, prompting swift backlash and preservation bills. North Carolina has so far avoided such missteps, but the threat looms as budgets tighten. Stein’s focus on clean energy and regulatory expansion diverts attention from practical investments in park infrastructure. Instead of leveraging the economic potential of parks to fund their upkeep, his policies risk turning these assets into liabilities, dependent on federal grants and taxpayer bailouts.

Stein’s environmental credentials rest heavily on his work addressing PFAS and coal ash pollution. The EPA’s recent designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under Superfund law, alongside new water quality criteria for PFAS, has empowered states to pursue aggressive cleanups. North Carolina’s coal ash remediation efforts, spurred by Stein’s settlement, have set a national standard. But these victories are overshadowed by the broader implications of his regulatory agenda. Stricter permitting under the Clean Water Act and mandates like the NC Managing Environmental Waste Act of 2025 impose compliance costs that disproportionately burden small businesses and municipalities.

Supporters of these regulations argue they ensure clean water and public health. Yet the data suggests a more nuanced picture. Coal ash contamination affects 22 states, and while North Carolina’s proactive measures are commendable, the costs of compliance often fall on ratepayers through higher utility bills. PFAS cleanup, while critical, requires targeted solutions, not blanket regulations that stifle economic growth. Stein’s approach, while well-intentioned, risks overcorrecting with policies that prioritize optics over outcomes, leaving North Carolinians to foot the bill.

North Carolina stands at a crossroads. The state’s natural beauty, from its mountains to its coast, is a treasure worth protecting. But preservation cannot come at the expense of economic vitality. Stein’s Earth Day celebration, while heartfelt, underscores a disconnect between his administration’s priorities and the needs of everyday North Carolinians. A balanced approach—one that embraces reliable energy, invests in park infrastructure, and targets pollution without crippling businesses—is within reach. President Trump’s energy policies, focused on affordability and choice, offer a blueprint for states to follow.

North Carolinians deserve leadership that honors the state’s natural heritage without sacrificing their livelihoods. Stein’s green agenda, heavy on promises and light on pragmatism, falls short. By prioritizing fiscal responsibility, energy reliability, and targeted conservation, North Carolina can chart a course that preserves its parks, protects its waters, and powers its future. Earth Day should be a call to action, not an excuse for empty gestures.