Current law provides that all full-time assigned classroom teachers (classroom teachers) have duty-free instructional time during the regular school day when students are at school. Amends GS 115C-301.1 to specify that all classroom teachers be provided "daily" duty-free instructional time during regular student contact hours. Makes an exception to the provision of daily duty-free instructional time in emergency situations that require the immediate and temporary suspension of the planning time as the only reasonable means of protecting the safety of the students. Also provides that teachers are to have a duty-free lunch to the maximum extent that the safety and proper supervision of the students may allow during regular student contact hours. Prohibits principals from requiring a teacher to give up his or her duty-free lunch or duty-free instructional time on an ongoing, regular basis without the teacher's consent. Deletes provisions regarding any funds from the General Assembly for providing duty-free instructional planning time.

Makes conforming and technical changes to GS 115C-105.27(b) regarding the school improvement plan to improve student performance. Requires that the school improvement plan include a plan to provide at least five hours of duty-free planning time per week for every teacher and a plan to provide a duty-free lunch period on a daily basis.

Applies beginning with the 2015-16 school year.

Amends GS 163-166.13(e) to expand the list of approved photo identification used for the verification of voter identification to include: (1) student identification cards issued by the University of North Carolina or one of its constituent institutions, (2) student identification cards issued by any accredited private college or university located in North Carolina, and (3) student identification cards issued by a North Carolina community college. Provides that the exception allowing expired photo identification cards for voters 70 years old and older does not apply to the above student identification cards.  

Amends GS 15A-622(i) to expand the list of violations for which an investigative grand jury can be convened to also include allegations of the commission of, attempt to commit or solicitation to commit, or a conspiracy to commit a violation of GS 90-95(h) (specified crimes involving controlled substances), GS 90-95.1 (continuing criminal enterprise), GS Chapter 14, Article 29 or 30 (concerning bribery and obstructing justice), GS 14-228 (buying and selling of offices), GS 14-230 (failing to discharge duties), or GS 14-234 (public officers or employees benefiting from public contracts).  Amends GS 15A-622 providing that a grand jury will be convened if a three-judge panel determines that a submitted written petition for the convening of a grand jury alleges the commission or a conspiracy to commit any of the crimes listed above and found in GS 15A-622(i) [was, if the petition alleges the commission or a conspiracy to commit a violation of GS 90-95(h) (specified crimes involving controlled substances) and GS 90-95.1 (continuing criminal enterprise)].

Makes conforming and technical changes. 

Effective October 1, 2015.

Designates this as as "The Energy Freedom Act of 2015." Provides a sequence of "whereas clauses" setting forth the policy reasons for this act.

Under current law, the term "public utility" does not include persons who construct or operate an electric generating facility for the primary purpose of that person's own use. Amends the definition for "public utility" as provided in GS 62-3(23) to provide that "public utility" also does not mean a person who constructs or operates a renewable energy facility on the site of a customer's property and sells the electricity produced by that facility to the customer who owns the property, as provided by and subject to the limitations of GS 62-119 as enacted in this act.

Enacts new GS 62-119, Third-party sales of electricity from on-site renewable energy facilities, to Article 6 of GS Chapter 62. Provides that third-party sales of electricity from renewable energy facilities on the customer's property where the electricity will be used does not subject the third party owner or operator of the on-site renewable energy equipment to any sales restrictions under GS 62-110.2 or to regulation as a public utility under GS Chapter 62 provided that (1) the facility supplies no more than 125% of the average annual consumption of electricity by the consumer at that site, and (2) the third-party owner reports the proposed construction of the facility to the Utilities Commission (Commission) before beginning construction on the facility. Defines the property that constitutes the customer's site for purposes of this statute. Provides that renewable energy facilities owned or operated by third parties under this statute are eligible to participate in net metering arrangements with applicable public utilities. Authorizes the Commission to approve a new schedule of fees or credits for customers who elect to use distributed energy resources.

Amends GS 62-300(a) to add a new subdivision authorizing the Commission to to collect a $25 fee for each proposed construction report filed by a person who constructs or operates a renewable energy facility on the site of the customer's property and sells the electricity produced by the facility to the customer under the limitations of GS 62-119 as created in this act.

Effective July 1, 2015.

Requires the State Board of Education (Board) to eliminate the use of the NC Final Exam to assess teachers' performance in relation to Standard 6 of the North Carolina Teacher Evaluation System and requires the Board to adopt a policy requiring each local school administrative unit to use school‑wide growth values to determine Standard 6 ratings. Requires the End‑of‑Grade assessments and End‑of‑Course assessments to be used for determining student growth values for teachers administering those assessments. Effective upon the approval by the US Department of Education of the amendment required by Section 2 of this act.

Section 2 of the act requires the Board, within 60 days of the date this act becomes law, to submit for approval by the US Department of Education an amendment to its flexibility waiver under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.