Duke-Progress Merger

A Durham advocacy group is making an 11th-hour appeal to North Carolina regulators to allow greater scrutiny of the proposed merger between Progress Energy and Duke Energy during Monday’s scheduled public hearing.

The N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, an anti-nuclear group in Durham known as WARN, argues that circumstances have changed since the commission’s hearings last September. New hearings, if granted, would likely derail the utilities’ plan of closing the $26 billion merger by July 1.

Critics of the proposed merger between Progress Energy and Duke Energy urged state regulators Monday to hold another round of public hearings to explore alleged secrets and rumors about the utility merger that could sap the public benefits of the $26 billion deal.

FCAN (Florida Consumer Action Network) is backing environmental and consumer watchdog group NC WARN’s request filed Monday with the North Carolina Utilities Commission for a public hearing to review fresh concerns about the merger.