NC WARN

Duke Energy is leading NC in the wrong direction of dirty, expensive power

Durham, N.C. – While the rest of the world makes promising advancements in solar, wind, and battery storage technologies, North Carolina remains a climate laggard instead of a climate leader. Duke Energy’s massive planned expansion of fracked gas-fired and nuclear power plants and its suppression of renewables has caused our state to fall behind in the global clean energy transition. 

Technological advancements are happening daily – Chinese scientists just set a world record by developing a new solar cell exceeding 28% efficiency. Solar abundance is now allowing many households in Australia to get three free hours of solar power every afternoon. A dozen nations now generate more electricity with renewable sources than they consume, and they export the excess. 

Worldwide, 80% of new energy capacity comes from renewable sources. According to Stanford University Professor Mark Jacobson, this progress reflects a global transition away from dirty and dangerous fossil fuels, enabled by advances in battery technology and rapidly falling costs. 

Even in the US, where federal policy aims to hamstring the renewable energy industry, solar and batteries remain the cheapest form of electricity. Utah produced more power from solar than any other source in May for the very first time. South Dakota and Montana now generate more renewable energy than they consume. California, the fourth largest economy in the world, now produces more than 100 percent of its electricity demand from renewable energy most days.

Much of the world is realizing that fossil fuels and risky, expensive nuclear plants are becoming obsolete in the face of faster, cheaper, safer, more reliable renewable power. But Duke Energy seems set on dragging our state backward, against the flow of progress. 

“In my international work, I’m inspired by the ever-increasing expansion of solar, wind and other renewable energy across the world,” said Dale Evarts, former head of the Climate and International Group at the US Environmental Protection Agency. “Countries are reducing their reliance on expensive fossil fuels and their vulnerability to blackmail and war. It’s discouraging to see North Carolina miss out on this enormous clean energy transition that creates jobs, inspires innovation, and makes electricity more affordable.”

Duke Energy has the largest planned expansion of fracked gas-fired power plants and failure-prone nuclear plants in the nation. Duke’s top executives recently admitted to aggressively recruiting data centers, which harm communities and drive Duke’s fossil fuel buildout. 

While solar and batteries become cheaper and more accessible globally, Duke Energy repeatedly attacks North Carolina’s solar industry. In 2024, the NC Court of Appeals ruled to uphold a Duke rule change that slashed the economic benefits of installing rooftop solar. 

Solar energy is available everywhere, free from volatile fuel costs, cheap and reliable, and readily available to us at a time when scientists demand that we change course as soon as possible to avert climate chaos. In the words of journalist and environmental scholar Bill McKibben, “[the sun] is willing to provide us with all the power we could ever need. This gift has come at the last possible moment. It would be an extraordinary sin to waste it.”

Why would Duke Energy hold North Carolina back by investing in dirty, failure-prone energy instead? Governor Josh Stein must ensure that North Carolina benefits from the global clean energy revolution by investing our future in clean, cheap solar power.

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Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes.

The post North Carolina Falls Behind as World Advances in Solar, Renewables — NC WARN News Release appeared first on NC WARN.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is disputing Duke Energy’s description of a proposed electricity rate increase, arguing that the company misrepresented under oath how much residential customers would pay under a recent settlement agreement.

The disagreement comes as Duke Energy seeks approval for a settlement that would raise rates by 6.8% over the next two years. The proposal would affect customers across the Triangle and other parts of the state.

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Climate advocacy group NC WARN also raised concerns about the proposal.

“You know, last year, Duke reported a record $5 billion in profits, while many North Carolinians are really struggling to pay for their electric bills,” said Sara Heilman of NC WARN.

Jackson argues that residential customers would see a 9.3% increase rather than the 6.8% increase referenced by Duke Energy. Heilman said that level of increase remains unacceptable.

“But really, from our perspective, 9.3% is still too high of an increase for residential customers, especially when those increases in the bills that we’re paying are really going towards building unnecessary power plants, fueling these massive power-guzzling data centers that communities are not asking for and really not serving the interests of the average North Carolinian,” Heilman said.

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North Carolina regulators are weighing Duke Energy’s rate-hike requests that could raise power bills for customers across the state.

By Autumn Bracey

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said he will not sign a proposed settlement in the Duke Energy Progress rate case that would raise residential electric bills by about 6.8% over the next two years.

The utility’s original filing had sought an 18.1% increase on residential rates over two years. Duke announced a settlement last week with the North Carolina Public Staff and other parties, and in testimony before the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Kendal Bowman, North Carolina president for Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas, said the residential rate increase would now be 6.8% over two years.

“Duke brought down their rate increase to 6.8%, but that’s still too high for families and still more than the company needs to cover its investments,” Jackson said. “We’re not signing it.”

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Regulators hold hearings

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Utilities Commission held hearings on the proposed increase.

WCNC spoke with NC WARN, a nonprofit that educates the public about Duke Energy’s practices. The group says that while customers have seen some wins with lower rates in the past, the new requests are a reminder of why it’s important to keep paying attention.

“I think it’s really important we question the reason for these rate increases,” Sara Heilman, clean energy strategist for NC WARN, said. “We understand the connection and correlation between requested rate increases and Duke Energy’s business model, which really serves to profit its executives and shareholders at the expense of affordability for North Carolinians.”

Rising bill despite falling usage

Heilman also pointed out that per-capita electricity use has actually declined over time, which she says makes it even more important for policymakers to scrutinize the data before approving any rate hikes.

“Our allies at the Energy and Policy Institute show customers, even using the same amount of electricity over the same years, are still seeing increases in their power bills,” Heilman said. “It really has a lot to do with Duke Energy’s investments in fossil fuels, like fracked-gas power plants, and the connection between those investments and the affordability crisis.”

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By Renee Umsted

As temperatures in the Triangle soar, Duke Energy customers are noticing higher bills.

On social media, customers claim they’re not using more energy, or that they’re trying to use less. But they still say that bills are getting higher each month, and are more expensive than this time last year.

Are high temperatures to blame for expensive energy bills?

It’s summertime. It’s hot and humid. Your air conditioning system is working harder to cool your home.

And if you ask Duke Energy, that’s the story.

“Cooling demand across North Carolina was 43% above normal by July 4 following multiple periods of extreme heat, according to federal weather data,” the Charlotte-based company wrote in an Aug. 7 news release. “For many customers, increased air-conditioning use is the primary reason energy use and bills may be higher than normal.”

Is it Duke Energy’s fault?

But there are other factors to blame for higher bills, said Sara Heilman, clean energy strategist at NC WARN, a nonprofit that advocates for a transition to clean energy and promotes energy and climate justice.

“I think the most central thing contributing to rising electric bills is that there is a direct correlation between profit for Duke Energy executives and investors, and rising costs for North Carolinians,” Heilman said in a video interview.

Duke Energy reported $5 billion in profits last year, The News & Observer previously reported. Last week, it reported its strongest-ever second quarter (April through June), with more than $1 billion in net income.

When the utility builds new infrastructure such as a power plant or high-voltage power line, customers pay for the cost of the project, plus an additional percentage as profit, Heilman said.

“There’s this incentive for Duke to be building as much as possible, even when it’s not necessarily needed,” Heilman said.

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