“I’d be surprised if that’s not the main framework,” McCrory told the Charlotte Observer after speaking on Thursday at the Charlotte Business Journal’s annual energy conference.

“I think we provided a very sound plan, not only for North Carolina but I wouldn’t be surprised if other states start copying the plan, because there really is no national plan on how to deal with coal ash.”

However, McCrory himself is the one accused of copying.

The proposal shares many similarities with a plan published by Duke Energy in the wake of the Dan River accident on February 2.

The proposal requires pond closure plans within 60-90 days for four plants, including Riverbend, west of Charlotte.

Other ash ponds would be evaluated individually, with options to remove ash or leave it covered in place.

Former Duke employee Mike Hager called McCrory’s proposal a codification of Duke’s plan.

It’s not clear whether the bill will address the costs of removing ash.

Duke said it would pay to clean up the Dan River spill but requested regulators pass to customers other disposal costs, estimated to be up to $US10 billion ($A10.6 billion).