In 2014, Duke’s delivered little but calamity, especially in Florida, where customers serve as company punching bags. But even in its home state of North Carolina, Duke fumbled. Now it’s busy downplaying a horrible environmental spill of its own making. A toxic sludge of 39,000 tons of arsenic-laced coal ash and 27,000 gallons of contaminated water now coats nearly 70 miles of the once-scenic Dan River.
Duke/Kochs' Control of Government
Duke Energy and others in the energy industry consistently use deceptive public relations – and millions of customer dollars – to distort the debate over important decisions. Duke’s control over NC state government is significant. We must face this “inconvenient truth” in order to make the shift to clean, safe energy. This corporate influence has, in the words of Dr. James Hansen, wounded our democracy.
Particularly egregious are efforts by Duke, the Koch brothers and other industry powers to slow the growth of solar energy and, in North Carolina, to prevent competition from third-party providers of no-upfront-cost solar deals that put solar energy within reach of many more homeowners and businesses. Another good example of corporate power is the passage in some states of Construction Work in Progress laws that allow utilities to charge customers in advance for building expensive new plants that aren’t even needed.
In 2015, Duke Energy, the Koch Brothers and others successfully kept the Energy Freedom bill bottled up in committee at the NC legislature. The bill would have opened up NC to third-party solar deals. Read about our 2015 Duke Hates Solar campaign in support of the bill.
Read about our Solar Freedom project at Faith Community Church in Greensboro — a test case in the state’s ban on third-party sales of electricity.
Direct Appeals for Dialogue with Duke Energy
NC WARN has repeatedly reached out to Duke Energy executives, seeking to collaborate with them on moving away from obstructionism and toward a clean energy future. A few examples are listed here.
Jump to a Subcategory
All News Categories
Statement on Duke Solar Announcement — News Release from NC WARN
Duke’s solar announcement today is a good step. But it’s the ONLY step Duke plans to make toward renewables for its Carolinas customers – according to its newly filed long-range plans – over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, Duke is actively working to stifle the growth of large-scale and rooftop solar in NC – in the ongoing case at the Utilities Commission.
Duke Energy commits $500 million to N.C. solar power expansion — Triangle Business Journal
Duke Energy is making a $500 million commitment to a major expansion of solar power in North Carolina. The company will acquire and construct three solar facilities — totaling 128 megawatts of capacity. Duke also signed power-purchase agreements for five new solar projects in the state, representing 150 megawatts of capacity.
McCrory’s mishandling of his Duke stock — Charlotte Observer
Rather than owning the mistake, McCrory issued a defensive statement and said he broke no rules. In May, a spokesman pointed to the now-discredited disclosure report and said it “eliminates the often repeated, ridiculous and false, partisan left-wing attacks challenging the intent of our decisions and policies.” That reminds one of Hillary Clinton dismissing probes into her husband as just a “vast right-wing conspiracy.”
Coalition pressures utilities — Tampa Bay Times
About three dozen people quietly gathered in the drizzling rain outside Duke Energy’s St. Petersburg headquarters for the inaugural effort of the group Floridians for Fair Rates, an organization led by Steyer’s political group NextGen Climate.
NC Solar Industry In Jeopardy If Utilities Get Their Way — WFAE
In the span of five years, the solar industry in North Carolina has grown from nearly non-existent to fourth-largest in the nation, behind California, Arizona, and New Jersey. The pace is accelerating, with solar capacity set to more than double in the state, at least this year. The state’s powerful electric utilities are pushing changes that could blot out the industry in North Carolina.
NC utilities panel will delve into cost of green energy — Charlotte Observer
In a proceeding that could boost or dampen North Carolina’s fast-growing solar industry, the N.C. Utilities Commission is taking a new look at the rates utilities pay for renewable energy.
Duke Energy still considering making request to pay less for solar power — Charlotte Business Journal
Duke Energy still wants to pay less to the owners of rooftop solar power systems from whom it buys electricity to feed back into its grid. But the utility provider won’t say until later this year how much less and when.
“Duke Hates Solar” Campaign Launched by NC WARN — News Release from NC WARN
Today NC WARN began an intensive statewide public and legal campaign to expose Duke Energy’s efforts to stifle North Carolina’s growing solar power industry at both the rooftop and large-scale levels.
NC solar project helps renewable energy, but a bigger boost is needed — News & Observer
This N&O editorial is consistent with NC WARN’s view: that Duke Energy is not doing enough to promote solar power.
There’s good news for alternative energy and northeastern North Carolina in the announcement that Duke Energy Renewables will build a massive solar energy project in Pasquotank County. But this sunny story also casts a shadow.