Climate change and rate hikes dominated a Duke Energy shareholder meeting Thursday led for the last time by Jim Rogers, outgoing CEO of what the company says is the world’s largest publicly traded utility. Forcefully at times, Rogers defended Duke’s positions – and his own seven-year tenure – on questions ranging from renewable energy to pay raises for directors.
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Progress Energy tries to bolster case for rate increase — WRAL
Progress Energy called witnesses Monday to testify to the North Carolina Utilities Commission about the need for an electricity rate increase. “You have to weigh (lower industrial rates) against the economics of raising a lot of other people’s rates,” said Jim Warren, executive director of NC WARN, a watchdog group that is a frequent critic of Duke and Progress. “It takes away buying power. That kills jobs, too.”
Progress Energy Residential Rate Increase to Exceed 10% – After Proposed Settlement with Public Staff — News Release from NC WARN
The effect of the proposed Progress Energy rate hike on the average residential consumer is nearly double the 4.7 percent increase that is being presented by the NC Utilities Commission’s Public Staff, according to a new analysis conducted by the utility watchdog NC WARN.
Progress Energy Rate Hike Could Still be Over 10 Percent for Households – News Release from NC WARN
For the third time in a row, the NC Utilities Commission’s Public Staff has settled the major part of a rate case with Duke Energy or Progress Energy before all the public and evidentiary hearings are held.
Doing the math on Duke’s rate hike – Charlotte Observer
Duke Energy Carolinas filed 5,012 pages of written testimony, data analyses and appendices Monday in support of its request for an overall 9.7 percent North Carolina rate hike. Buried in all those numbers is one that’s most relevant to most customers: 14 percent. That’s the increase the majority of residential customers are being asked to pay.
Consumer Alliance Warns of a Doubling of Electricity Rates under Duke Energy’s Business Plan – News Release from Consumers Against Rate Hikes
Economists say a proposed “annual rate hike bill” to fund new nuclear plants would be aninterest-free loan to Duke from ratepayers – without saving any money.
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Duke Energy settlement may not lower customers’ power bills – WSOC-TV
Several energy watchdog groups told Eyewitness News a new settlement with Duke Energy will not help customers’ monthly power bills. Details of the settlement between Progress Energy and Duke Energy were released Thursday afternoon. If approved, it will end a months-long battle over their controversial merger.
Competing interests to spar over Progress rate request – The News & Observer
The number immediately jumped out to Jim Hoard: $9 million. That’s the amount Progress Energy expects to save within its first year of the merger with Duke Energy, according to the rate increase request Progress filed this month. The savings would come from streamlined operations and staff cuts that will eliminate 1,860 positions over three years.
Did Progress include $100s of millions in improper annual expenses in today’s rate hike request – as parent Duke Energy did in 2009 and 2011? – News Release from NC WARN
NC WARN will be watching to see if Progress Energy tries to slip in $100s of millions in improper annual expenses – as its parent corporation Duke Energy did in its past two rate cases.
Progress Energy requests 14% rate increase for residential customers – The News & Observer
Progress Energy Carolinas is asking state regulators for a rate increase that would boost the average household electricity bill of its North Carolina customers by nearly $180 a year.