By supporting Duke Energy’s plans to build fossil fuel power plants, H951 clashes wildly with climate science and economics.
Just weeks ago, Duke University’s Drew Shindell was lead author of an unprecedented United Nations-backed methane report calling for a halt to the expansion of gas infrastructure. The international team of scientists make clear that that stopping new natural gas is essential to averting climate chaos.
As NC WARN and others are proving right now at the NC Utilities Commission, Duke Energy has dozens of power units it doesn’t use even at periods of highest demand. Yet Duke leaders are pressing for permission to build more than 50 more gas units, thus to constantly raise power bills, in its 15-year plan. Climate regulations will force most of those plants to close within a few years, and Duke will expect its captive ratepayers to pay for the wasted billions of dollars.
The corporation also continues to slow-walk renewables paired with storage, the approach that’s winning the economics battle in non-monopoly states.
We appreciate that Attorney General Josh Stein has joined the call for the Utilities Commission to reject Duke’s 15-year plan and its massive expansion of fracked gas.
Along with all its other horrors, climate and economics make clear why Duke Energy’s bill was negotiated behind closed doors.
