As Duke Energy continues its six-year PR campaign touting CEO Jim Rogers’ concerns about climate change and North Carolina’s economic health, long-range plans filed this month with state regulators contradict his professions. The plans reflect serial rate hikes to pay for an aggressive expansion of generating plants, and high carbon emissions for the next two decades.
Nuclear Power
Since the early 1990s, NC WARN has watch-dogged the state’s nuclear power industry over its “low-level” and high-level waste practices, along with reactor safety and security issues.
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Credibility is hard to come by with Duke Energy – Tampa Bay Times column
This is not a critique of the proposed nuclear power plant in Levy County. Let the engineers, watchdogs and investors debate the details of that plan. This is about something simpler. In some ways, something far more important. This is about credibility.
$200 million in upgrades planned at idle Crystal River nuclear power plant – The Tampa Bay Times
In a move that flabbergasts its critics, Progress Energy Florida plans to spend more than $200 million of its customers’ money to upgrade the Crystal River nuclear power plant.
Heat Sends U.S. Nuclear Power Production to 9-Year Low – Bloomberg
Nuclear-power production in the U.S. is at the lowest seasonal levels in nine years as drought and heat force reactors from Ohio to Vermont to slow output.
Nukes at the core of Duke-Progress marriage – The Independent Weekly
The drama of Bill Johnson’s 20-minute tenure as CEO of the new Duke Energy Corporation has consumed the members of the N.C. Utilities Commission, who are wondering if Duke hoodwinked them into approving its merger-acquisition of Raleigh-based Progress Energy.
Good News: Consumer Coalition Thanks NC Legislature for No Action on Annual Rate Hikes Bill
Consumers Against Rate Hikes claims victory and thanks legislators as the 2012 legislative session closes without an Annual Rate Hikes Bill that would raise rates for electricity customers every year to build expensive, unnecessary nuclear plants.
Broken Crystal River nuclear plant is Duke Energy’s problem now – The Tampa Bay Times
Duke officials aren’t saying what happened or why Johnson, so central to a merger 18 months in the planning, was hastily cast aside. But critics quickly connected the dots. They pointed to Progress Energy’s broken Crystal River nuclear plant and suggestions that Duke was unhappy to learn too late the extent of its troubles.
NC WARN Says Changes in Duke-Progress Merger Harm the Public – News Release from NC WARN
Groups from 5 merger states urge NC hearings; WARN calls for sunshine on 15 secret deals and for attorney general to investigate backroom pressure over SC nuclear project.
See NC WARN’s motion
See NC WARN’s letter to Attorney General Roy Cooper
Merger could hinge on secret Duke Energy study on broken Progress nuclear plant – Note to Editors
NC WARN today received information from an unnamed source claiming to represent Duke Energy shareholders who want out of the Duke-Progress merger.
Duke-Progress merger could be scotched by backroom deal on new nuclear plant and billions in cost of broken plant – News Release from NC WARN
Watchdog group will urge North Carolina regulators to reject any SC effort to hitch merger approval to Duke’s investment in problematic nuclear project.