Issue Brief by NC WARN
Target: North Carolina Electricity Customers
NC Utilities Seek a Blank Check and Annual Rate Hikes – as the U.S. Nuclear Revival Fails
SUMMARY
- Trying to build new nuclear plants would cause power bills to soar in North Carolina – and could cost the average family $4,000 even if projects could stay on budget.
- Annual rate hikes could cause North Carolina industries to go bankrupt and more jobs to leave the state – while nuclear plant jobs are created in South Carolina.
- New nuclear power projects are failing in several countries and most of the U.S.
- U.S. nuclear plant construction will be limited to a few southern states where the public is forced to absorb ballooning costs and the huge risk of project abandonment.
- Duke Energy and Progress Energy admit nuclear construction would be risky, and that they will attempt new plants only if customers take the risk and if the NC legislature grants automatic annual rate hikes – not subject to general rate cases.
- The utilities would reap any “savings” that might come from pre-charging customers.
- New nuclear plants are not needed, and trying to build them is making climate change worse by diverting billions of dollars and precious years from clean power and energy efficiency – faster, cheaper ways to cut emissions. Thus, utility actions are impeding thousands of ready-to-go jobs and the much-needed closure of coal-fired power plants.
NC WARN is part of the Consumers Against Rate Hikes coalition who placed this advertisement in the News & Observer on Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 and in the Independent Weekly on Feb. 2.
For more information on this issue, please see the oped by WARN executive director Jim Warren and Rev. Lynice Williams, executive director of NC Fair Share.
