Newly announced settlement negotiations are deeply troubling in carbon plan fight
Late today, the NC Utilities Commission was openly told that negotiations are underway among select parties that could settle the highly contentious carbon plan case that’s in its second week of hearings.
NC WARN strongly urges all nonprofits, business groups and the attorney general’s office not to relax the solid wall of opposition to Duke Energy’s request for approval of a plan that could lead Duke to build 8,800 to 11,700 MW of climate-wrecking natural gas units (scores of units).
The science clearly demands that fossil fueled power plants must be closed – not opened – if humanity is to avert irreversible climate and social chaos.
Only some of the parties involved in settlement negotiations are now known to us. In the past, Duke Energy has made quiet deals with various parties that were extremely controversial. But NC WARN is concerned that Duke Energy and/or the public staff of the NCUC may already be involved.
We and several ally parties only learned of the negotiations late today.
We feel certain that dozens of partnering groups and thousands of North Carolinians will join us, if necessary, in firmly rejecting any deals that allow Duke Energy to keep expanding the use of climate-wrecking gas while blocking the growth of cheaper clean energy.
The hearings continue Thursday at 9:30am. Listen to the hearing live or watch recordings of last week’s sessions. (Look for “E-100 Sub 179”).