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Submitted by Debbie LeBlanc Foster

North Carolina has made progress toward clean, affordable energy (#2 in the nation in solar power!), and reducing carbon pollution that harms our environment, our wildlife, and our citizens. 

Duke Energy is promoting legislation giving them the latitude to spend customers’ money on power system modifications, coal ash cleanup, and gas pipelines, with less oversight and public input.  Duke’s bill locks consumers into years of higher bills for projects that don’t advance NC toward a clean energy economy.

What’s wrong with this picture?  Duke operates as a monopoly.  This proposed bill would allow them broad power over a long time period: to dictate rates and how money is spent, potentially penalizing consumers who would like to spend their energy dollars in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

Who loses on this?  We do, as consumers and as customers of Duke Energy.

Lawmakers, as you consider House Bill 624, say NO to Duke and YES to the bipartisan majority of North Carolinians who support a transparent process with stakeholder input that delivers on clean energy and is prudent with our hard-earned paychecks.