The N.C. House and Senate agreed to restore the solar compromise provisions of a reform bill on renewable energy regulation and cut a proposed wind moratorium from four years to 18 months. Duke Energy, a principal in the more than nine months of negotiations that led to the original House version of the "Competitive Energy Solutions for NC" act, welcomed the final result.The bill establishes a bidding procedure initiated by Duke for new solar construction and commits the company to seeking 2,660 megawatts worth of new solar projects over the next 45 months. After that, the annual bidding process will continue with new construction goals set by the N.C. Utilities Commission.That was the heart of the long-negotiated compromise that was central to the House bill, approved June 7.Eckley acknowledges the bill did restore some important provisions won in the original House version for the solar industry. But she said that the moratorium insisted on by the Senate — which is likely to impact significant wind projects now in development in eastern North Carolina — is a bitter pill. And it is not one that NCSEA and many of its allies in the fight over the bill are certain they will swallow.Eckley says that the coalition of renewable energy advocates and other stakeholders in the bill negotiations are working to determine their options in the wake of passage. She would not rule out seeking a veto of the bill from Gov. Roy Cooper.The Senate had insisted on a moratorium to allow time for a mandated report on the potential impact new wind development might have on military bases in eastern North Carolina. That's despite the fact that the military has expressed support for wind development and had approved the plans for the Amazon Wind project that is already operating in that part of the state as well as plans for one of the two projects now under development.