Last Monday’s meeting of the NC Utilities Commission perfectly demonstrated why fast-track review of Duke Energy’s application to build a $1.1 billion power plant fails the public interest and is unconstitutional. A Duke Energy attorney laying out a one-sided, over-simplified and misleading case to commissioners is no substitute for an evidentiary hearing that allows for open debate and cross-examination of Duke officials, the Commission’s Public Staff and experts representing other parties.
Duke Energy Gas Expansion
Duke Energy is planning a massive increase in its burning of natural gas to produce electricity. This would be a climate disaster because of the large amounts of super-potent methane that leak unburned from gas operations, particularly fracking. Recent science from the United Nations and others show that new gas infrastructure is incompatible with the goal of preventing catastrophic climate change. Read more here and in the news items below about NC WARN’s work to block Duke’s fracking gas future.
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Exposing Duke Energy’s Fiction: Actual Growth Rate is Three Times Lower than Estimates Used to Argue for New Plants over the Years — News Release from NC WARN
NC WARN has long maintained that Duke Energy wildly exaggerates projections of electricity demand so it can keep building unneeded power plants and raising customer rates – and that state regulators should scrutinize the estimates instead of accepting Duke execs at their word year after year.
Three Prominent Experts: Duke Power Plant Should be Rejected — News Release from NC WARN & The Climate Times
Today NC WARN and The Climate Times filed a legal motion and affidavits by three prominent technical experts urging state regulators to deny Duke Energy’s application to build a huge natural gas power plant in Asheville because it is not needed, would be high-risk economically, and would accelerate the global climate crisis at the worst possible time.
Regulators Side with Duke Energy’s Secret-keeping in Statewide Fight — News Release from NC WARN
The NC Utilities Commission has denied our motion to require Duke Energy to stop hiding information critical to the utility’s case to build a large gas-fired power plant in Asheville. This case is a statewide fight – moving toward a public meeting in Raleigh February 22 – with national ramifications over the future of the natural gas industry, the climate crisis and Duke Energy’s business model.
Openly justify the fracking gas plant in Asheville or withdraw the application — Letter to Lynn Good from NC WARN
NC WARN appeals to your sense of propriety and your duty to the people of North Carolina by calling on you to fully and openly justify Duke Energy’s application to build a large fracking gas-fired power plant in Asheville – or to cancel the application.
Asheville area residents gather to protest power plant — Blue Banner, UNC Asheville
On a cold and rainy night in Asheville, concerned citizens, environmental activists, faith leaders and Duke Energy Progress customers packed Asheville’s courthouse last Tuesday to debate Western North Carolina’s future energy policy in the face of renovations at Duke Energy Progress’ Lake Julian power station.
Duke Energy Hides Key Info in Fracking Gas Power Plant Fight — WCHL
Duke Energy is hiding large blocks of information about its plans to build a billion-dollar power plant in Asheville. NC WARN is pressing state regulators to conduct an open review – not the fast-track rubber stamp Duke wants.
Duke Energy Hides Key Info in Controversial Power Plant Fight — News Release from NC WARN
Durham, NC – Duke Energy is withholding from public view large blocks of information critical to the utility’s case to build a large gas-fired power plant in Asheville. NC WARN and The Climate Times today filed a motion calling for regulators to compel Duke to put the data on the table for scrutiny.
With new Duke natural gas plant, new concerns — Asheville Citizen-Times
A reworked Duke Energy natural gas plant proposal isn’t drawing protests as an earlier version did, but some area residents and groups are raising concerns ahead of a North Carolina Utilities Commission meeting on the utility’s plans.
Duke gas plant plans released to criticism — Asheville Citizen-Times
Duke Energy Progress is touting plans for a natural gas-fired facility that will replace the coal-powered plant at Lake Julian, but some environmental groups are criticizing a fast-tracked approval process that leaves little time for public scrutiny.