There’s a ton of good news in the fight to slow the global climate crisis – outside of North Carolina. A key question remains: Will this state finally get out from under Duke Energy’s climate-wrecking, fracked gas obsession and clean-power sabotage in its monopoly-captured territories?
NC WARN News Releases
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Duke’s Community Solar Program was Designed to Fail, Would Gouge Customers, Should be Ditched — News Release From NC WARN
Duke Energy’s proposed “community solar” proposal would cause participating customers to lose 51 percent of their investment and would take five years to implement. The program is clearly designed to fail and is further proof that the Charlotte-based corporation prefers to stifle and delay – not advance – clean energy.
See coverage in Charlotte Business Journal
Duke Energy Profits from Execs’ Major Blunders — News Release from NC WARN
The NC Utilities Commission ordered this state’s Duke Energy Carolinas customers to pay $545 million for coal ash negligence and $347 million for the utility’s 13-year, failed effort to begin construction of twin nuclear reactors – a project now cancelled. Even more shameful is that the commission granted Duke a roughly 10 percent mark-up on the coal ash mistake by corporate execs, just as it did in the Duke Progress case earlier this year.
Duke CEO Promised Investors $16 Billion in Grid Upgrades – On Top of Multiple Rate Hikes for Gas Plants and Coal Ash — News Release from NC WARN
Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good recently promised investors they could count on “multiple rate cases” in both of the corporation’s Carolinas service areas beginning next year – to fund seemingly endless construction of fracked gas power plants and clean-up of coal ash. Separately, she promised to boost rates and profits via a $16 billion electric “grid modernization” scheme that an expert for the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) testified could, on its own, raise residential rates by up to 50 percent.
More Groups Blast Duke Energy’s Last-Minute Rate Deal — News Release from NC WARN
Duke Energy’s proposed side deal at the 11th hour of an already controversial rate case continues drawing opposition from consumer watchdogs, industrial customers, tech giants and environmental groups. It appears the vaguely worded deal could bring an initial rate hike of 26 percent over the first three years – while becoming a perpetual tax on customers.
NC WARN Joins Groups Fighting 11th Hour Rate Hike Deal — News Release from NC WARN
Today NC WARN filed a motion calling for the NC Utilities Commission to reject a secretive, last minute settlement between Duke Energy and several organizations that would open the floodgates for huge, streamlined rate hikes with no guarantee of benefit to anyone other than corporate stockholders.
See coverage in Greensboro News & Record
Pipeline Neighbors File Civil Rights Complaint vs State of NC — News Release from NC WARN
Groups say approval of Atlantic Coast Pipeline cheated vulnerable residents out of federal civil rights protections for low-income communities and people of color. Letter to Connie Walker, President and General Manager of WUNC Radio, on the continuing news media failure in covering Duke Energy, fracked gas and accelerating climate urgency.
See coverage in the N&O
See coverage in the Progressive Pulse
See coverage in Inside Climate News
Duke Energy Profiting from Failure at Customers’ Expense – as Investments in Influence Money Pay Off Again — News Release from NC WARN
Shameful as it is that the NC Utilities Commission last month ordered customers to pay hundreds of millions for Duke Energy’s coal ash negligence in the Duke-Progress rate case…what’s even more shameful is that the Commission granted Duke a 10 percent mark-up on coal ash in the Progress case and that Duke’s seeking the same for coal ash and the nuclear boondoggle in the Carolinas case.
Duke Energy’s Libel Threat, Climate-Wrecking & Subversion of Democracy — News Release from NC WARN
Support for our CEO challenge grows – including the national Americans Against Fracking alliance of 300 groups. See the letter we sent to Duke CEO Lynn Good today for the full list of organizations that have endorsed our call for her to get on the right side of climate history.
Duke Energy’s Influence Money Challenged in Today’s Rate Case — News Release from NC WARN
Charlotte-based Duke Energy uses more than $80 million annually to influence government officials, civic leaders, news media and the public – and its monopoly-captive customers are forced to pay the bill.
WRAL: Environmentalists call out Duke Energy over ‘influence spending’
News & Observer: Duke Energy threatens advocacy group with legal action over financial claims
Duke Energy response: Cease and desist demand