Skip to main content
NC DEQ logo NC DEQ

Topical Navigation

  • Home
  • Divisions
    Divisions
    • Air Quality
    • Coastal Management
    • Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources
    • Environmental Assistance and Customer Service
    • Environmental Education and Public Affairs
    • Marine Fisheries
    • Mitigation Services
    • Waste Management
    • Water Infrastructure
    • Water Resources
  • Permits & Rules
    Permits & Rules
    • Permit Directory
    • State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
    • Express Permitting
    • DEQ Forms
    • Permit Assistance and Guidance
    • Rules & Regulations
    • Enforcement
    • NC DEQ ePayments
    • DEQ Permitting Transformation Program
    • Environmental Application Tracker
    • Pre-Regulatory Landfills Map
    • Title VI Compliance
    • Risk-Based Remediation
  • Outreach & Education
    Outreach & Education
    • N.C. Environmental Education
    • Distance Learning - Environmental Education
    • Environmental Justice
    • Educator Resources
    • Recognition Programs
    • Public Involvement Programs
    • Training
    • Recreation
    • Research
    • Grants
    • Conservation
    • Recycling
  • Energy & Climate
    Energy & Climate
    • Energy Group
    • Climate Change
    • Community Solar
    • Energy Assurance
    • Energy Efficiency and Weatherization
    • Energy Resilience
    • Transportation
    • Workforce Development
    • Offshore Wind Development
  • News
    News
    • Press Releases
    • Public Information Contacts
    • Environmentally Speaking Blog
    • Public Notices & Hearings
    • Events
    • Key Issues
    • DEQ Dashboard
    • Legislative Reports
    • Requesting Public Records
  • About
    About
    • Our Mission
    • Leadership
    • Boards and Commissions
    • Divisions
    • Green Square
    • Contact
    • Work at DEQ
  • NC.GOV
  • AGENCIES
  • JOBS
  • SERVICES
NC DEQ »   About »   Divisions »   Air Quality »   Air Quality Permitting »   Emissions Reduction Credits

North Carolina's Emissions Reduction Credits Banking Program

Please Note: The information contained on this website is for public use and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Information contained on this website is based on rules promulgated effective December 1, 2005.

Purpose and Overview:
The Emissions Reduction Credits (ERCs) Banking Program was created in 2005 to assist facilities looking for emission offsets for nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) permitting. This program provides for the creation, banking, transfer, and use of ERCs for nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compound (VOC), sulfur dioxide (SO2), fine particulate (PM2.5), and ammonia (NH3) (ammonia will not at this time be considered an ERC pollutant for PM2.5). Facilities that voluntarily reduce emissions may apply to the North Carolina Department of Environment And Natural Resources, Division of Air Quality to register the emission reductions as ERCs for future use. The nonattainment NSR permitting requirements are intended to help the North Carolina nonattainment areas achieve compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and preserve good air quality in areas that meet the state and federal health standards.

The purpose of the Emission Reduction Credits Registry is to provide a central, publicly available location where information about emission credits can be stored and viewed. When facilities that emit air pollutants cease operating or reduce emissions beyond what the law requires, they create emission credits, which may be used by facilities in the same geographic area that are seeking to increase emissions. This information will be particularly useful to facilities wanting to locate or expand in North Carolina's designated nonattainment areas.

Within this site, you will find:

  • ERCs Registry Information (Frequently Asked Questions)
  • Applications to Create And Bank, Use, and Transfer ERCs
  • Banking ERCs Rules
  • What ERCs are Available and Who Is Looking for ERCs
  • List of Counties in Nonattainment Areas
  • Maps of NC's Nonattainment Areas
  • Emission Reduction Credits Banking Program Contacts

Air Quality Permitting

  • Facility Document Search
  • Active Air Permit Applications Status Reports
  • Modifying or Applying for an Air Quality Permit
  • Specific Permit Conditions Regulatory Guide
  • Intent to Construct
  • NSR Permitting
  • Non-hazardous Secondary Materials (NHSM) Determinations
  • Permitting Procedures Memos and Guidance
  • Permits Without Zoning
  • Modeling & Meteorology
  • Emission Estimation Spreadsheets
  • Emissions Reduction Credits
    • ERCs Registry Information FAQ
    • ERC Applications
    • Banking ERCs Rules
    • ERC Banking Program Contacts
  • 112(j) Permitting Program
  • Air Toxics Director's Call
  • Asphalt Plants
  • Biogas Processing
  • International Tie
  • Natural Gas Compressor Stations Permitting Actions and Information
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Title V Permit
  • Wood Pellet Industry Permitting Actions and Information
  • Methyl Bromide Log Fumigation
  • Acciones de Permiso e información sobre Fumigación de troncos con Bromuro de Metilo

Share this page:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

How can we make this page better for you?

Back to top

Contact Us

Physical Address
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
217 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603 Map It
877-623-6748

Mailing Addresses

Work for Us

  • Job Opportunities at DEQ
  • For State Employees
  • DEQ Intranet

Twitter Feed

Tweets by NC DEQ

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • DEQ Employee Directory
  • Translation Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Open Budget
NC DEQ
https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/air-quality-permits/emissions-reduction-credits