“To have a crack in a reactor vessel head that went undetected for at least a year, that’s very troubling,” said Jim Warren, executive director of utility watchdog NC WARN, a frequent critic of Duke and Progress.
NC WARN in the News
A few of the news articles citing NC WARN
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Duke suspends plans for Shearon Harris expansion — WRAL
Duke Energy notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Thursday that it is suspending its application to build new reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant. NC WARN welcomed the announcement but scolded the utility for wasting millions of dollars that could have been spent on energy-saving programs. “The Shearon Harris failure perfectly typifies why the U.S. nuclear ‘renaissance’ is making global warming worse,” Executive Director Jim Warren said in a statement.
Duke Energy will ask customers to pay for canceled reactors — The News & Observer
When Progress Energy applied for a rate increase last fall, the request didn’t include $70 million the Raleigh electric utility had spent on a planned addition of two reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County. But Duke Energy, which acquired Progress last summer, plans to recover those costs and pass them on to customers, Duke CEO Jim Rogers told investors Friday. Rogers revealed the company’s intentions a day after Charlotte-based Duke announced it is canceling the Shearon Harris expansion.
Climate, rates dominate Duke meeting — Charlotte Observer
Climate change and rate hikes dominated a Duke Energy shareholder meeting Thursday led for the last time by Jim Rogers, outgoing CEO of what the company says is the world’s largest publicly traded utility. Forcefully at times, Rogers defended Duke’s positions – and his own seven-year tenure – on questions ranging from renewable energy to pay raises for directors.
Clean Energy Advocates Inundate Duke Energy Annual Meeting — WFAE
Duke Energy hosted its annual shareholder meeting Thursday. A few dozen protestors stood in front of the building as people walked in the door. Inside, CEO Jim Rogers took questions from the audience for nearly two hours. Questioners included Jim Warren from NC WARN. “Yeah, you’re doing a lot more wind and solar, but 90 percent or more of it is not in the Carolinas or any of your monopoly states, let’s be clear about that,” Warren told Rogers.
Green groups take protests into Duke Energy meeting — Charlotte Business Journal
Environmental groups came out in force for Jim Rogers’ final shareholders meeting as Duke Energy Corp.’s CEO. In addition to about 50 people gathered outside, dozens were inside to ask questions and make statements at the annual open session Rogers holds after the business session of the company’s annual meetings. When Rogers finally closed the session, several attendees continued to object. “Global warming is not an environmental issue — it is killing us,” shouted Beth Henry, a Charlotte activist. “You can’t build a good economy on a dead planet.”
Duke Energy shelves plans for new reactors at Shearon Harris — The News & Observer
After years of delays and postponements, Duke Energy issued an obituary for a pair of long-planned reactors at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County. The Charlotte power company has canceled plans to add the new reactors to the site, where a single unit has been generating electricity for a quarter-century. Duke told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that sluggish growth forecasts show new nuclear units won’t be needed for at least 15 years.
Greenpeace Scolds Duke’s Jim Rogers on the Environment — Bloomberg
Greenpeace and a local environmental group called NC WARN bought a full-page ad in the May 1 edition of the Charlotte Observer to scold Rogers. “Jim Rogers has seven months to determine how history will remember his eight years as CEO: a leader who helped start a clean energy revolution, or a laggard who talked about global warming but never acted to stop it.”
Green-energy groups slam Duke Energy in ad — The Charlotte Observer
Greenpeace and NC WARN, a Durham advocacy group, attacked Duke Energy’s environmental record Wednesday in a full-page Observer ad the day before Duke’s annual shareholder meeting. Protests focused on Duke’s contributions to global warming are expected at Thursday’s meeting.
Progress Energy execs grilled over price breaks for industrial customers — The News & Observer
Last year’s merger between Progress Energy and Duke Energy came back to haunt Progress on Monday as critic after critic grilled company executives on sweetheart deals designed to spare large utility customers a rate increase.