By Charlotte Huffman
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s utilities regulator and attorney general are settling separate investigations into whether Duke Energy misled officials before taking over its in-state rival Progress Energy.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission on Monday voted unanimously to approve the settlement announced last week. The deal defines CEO Jim Rogers’ retirement and the coming and going of several other executives and board members at what is now the country’s largest electric company.
The commission had the power to reverse or alter its earlier approval allowing the merger.
“I think this is a good day. I think it’s a good day for the company, for the regulatory process,” said Dwight Allen, attorney for Duke Energy.
Outspoken critic of the merger, Jim Warren of the group NC WARN disagrees.
“I think the regulators have sold out the public of North Carolina… We pay their salaries and they sold us out. They threw the public under the bus with this deal,” said Warren.
NC WARN filed an opposition Monday to the settlement agreement asking that the commission reopen evidentiary hearings into the unresolved issues and has plans to file a lawsuit against state regulators.
