But he’s Halloween-Scary about climate change and wishing captive regulators, Duke Energy and Big Tech corporations would change course to help North Carolinians
Yesterday NC Gov. Josh Stein issued a press release on the need to combat rising utility bills, featuring highlights from his Energy Policy Task Force. The Governor correctly alluded to the A.I. data center frenzy being out of control.
But he’s horribly out of step about how to change course.
What Stein and team got more-or less correct:
- Electricity rates could increase by 70% over the next 15 years, with data centers driving some 80% of the expanded energy projects.
- Data centers’ large energy loads will create $50 billion more in costs through 2050.
- A recent backroom deal between Duke and Big Tech corporations about data center power costs excludes the lion’s share of costs – new power plants – as NC WARN explained after Duke and others lied that the deal protects smaller power customers.
- Gov. Stein now says data centers should pay the full cost of their impact and bring their own clean energy.
What’s Halloween-Scary about Stein’s statement:
- “Bring their own clean energy” is delusional without assertive intervention from the Governor; few if any of the data centers plan to invest in renewable power, and the Duke-Big Tech deal virtually locks out that option. Instead, Duke Energy plans to build polluting power plants near many new data centers.
- Calling for the NC Utilities Commission to “require” anything of Duke Energy ignores many years of cozy regulatory treatment of one of the world’s worst polluters. That’s why NC WARN is urging Stein to enact a 2-year freeze on data center development to establish a better process to protect communities from Duke Energy and data center developers’ backroom deals.
- Stein says “If North Carolina starts cutting [carbon] emissions in the mid-2030s rather than later,” it would save ratepayers billions. This is horribly out of step with the 61 climate scientists pressing him to stop Duke Energy’s fossil fuel expansion immediately. [emphasis added]
Has the Governor given up on helping avert runaway climate and social chaos? Is he okay with relegating millions of state and global residents to the climate destruction being amplified by corporate polluters?
NC WARN has been increasingly critical of state government’s collaboration with Duke Energy to recruit A.I. data centers. Our demand for all records about state expenditures regarding those actions will be answered soon unless Gov. Stein chooses to fight this out in court.
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Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes.