The public got a last chance to sound off on a deal that will allow a Duke Energy subsidiary to raise power rates Tuesday evening in Hillsborough. A little more than two dozen demonstrators didn’t let a dreary drizzle dampen their message. They held signs and chanted against the rate increase. They called a proposed rate-hike audacious at best and greedy and environmentally harmful at worst.
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Industry Report Suggests Duke Energy May Be Facing Corporate Death Spiral
In January 2013, the Edison Electric Institute published a report titled Disruptive Challenges: Financial Implications and Strategic Responses to a Changing Retail Electric Business. It states: “…the pace of [electric industry] change is increasing and will likely increase further as costs of disruptive technologies” continue to decline.
Protesters take on Duke Energy — Charlotte Observer
Burning the Public: Duke Energy’s Rate Secrets – Part 4 — News Release from NC WARN
Duke Energy is seeking to charge North Carolina customers up to $120 million a year to pay for laid-off employees, vacant offices and other phantom expenses. A proposed settlement in the rate case does not remedy this blatant overcharging, so NC WARN will call on state regulators to reject it when evidentiary hearings begin on July 8.
Duke Energy Rate Increase May Shrink — WFDD
Wednesday night in Winston-Salem, protestors from the mountains to the Triangle rallied outside of the Forsyth County Court House. There were drummers, Puppeteers parading a larger than life smiling bright, yellow sun with hands, and people wearing oversized heads representing Duke Energy executives.
Burning the Public, Part 3: NC WARN seeks millions in penalties for Duke Energy — News Release from NC WARN
NC WARN is calling for state regulators to assess millions of dollars in damages against Duke Energy Carolinas for what the watchdog group says are “egregious and pervasive” violations in the utility’s current rate case. Economist Bill Marcus of Sacramento-based JBS Energy, Inc. [states]: “Disallowance of the expense is clearly not enough. If it was not for NC WARN, the utility could have gotten away with this flagrant abuse from the highest levels of the company for years.”
NRC still seeking why spot missed at Shearon Harris plant — News and Observer
An outside contractor hired to look for flaws in a Duke Energy nuclear reactor near Raleigh last year missed a quarter-inch spot of corrosion and cracking near the reactor core that forced a full shutdown last month after new eyes reviewing year-old data found the problem, federal regulators said Thursday. … The plant returned to full power Sunday. … Inspectors said they’re still trying to figure out why a pair of expert-level outside analysts independently failed to spot the problem, and why the spot wasn’t caught by later reviews of the data last year. A final NRC inspection report will be released by July 11.
Duke Energy sought to overcharge customers by $211 million per year — News Release from NC WARN
Statement from Greenpeace, AARP NC and NC WARN. The state agency that supposedly represents North Carolina electricity customers has cut a deal with Duke Energy to settle a controversial rate hike request. The NC Utilities Commission’s Public Staff announced the deal today before even considering evidence being prepared by public interest groups, businesses and local governments – and before public hearings set for Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Hillsborough.