By John Downey
A group of legislators in the Carolinas wants the two states to work together on proposals to overhaul utility regulation and set up a regional transmission organization (RTO) to promote competition to the existing power monopolies established for Duke Energy and Dominion Power.
N.C. Rep. Larry Strickland and S.C. Sens. Wes Climer and Tom Davis held a press conference Thursday at Charlotte’s Mint Museum to discuss legislation for studies they’ve proposed in each state.
Strickland’s N.C. legislation appropriates $750,000 to the N.C. Utilities Commission to study requiring the state’s major utilities to cede control of its transmission system to a regional authority. The money will be used to hire a consultant and convene a stakeholder group of representatives for Duke, Dominion, various state regulators, clean energy groups, industrial customer groups, residential customers and others to consider proposals.
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See WFAE story on same press conference, with links to SC and NC bills
