Administrative Watch: Duke Wants More Ratepayer Dollars for Coal Ash Cleanup
Duke Energy continues to argue that their ratepayers should cover the costs of cleaning up Duke’s coal ash messes.
Duke is asking the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) to approve a major electric rate increase including a hefty downpayment on the costs of cleaning up its coal ash messes at sites around North Carolina. NCUC is hearing arguments from Duke and other parties regarding whether the costs of fixing Duke’s coal ash problems should be borne by the ratepaying public or Duke’s own shareholders. Duke estimates that the costs of cleaning up its 33 coal ash dump sites will total more than $4 billion.
The NCUC Public Staff (an office charged by law with representing the interests of the public) has announced a partial deal with Duke over a rate hike it could support. However, that deal does not include agreement on how to handle the coal ash costs. That item makes up about $130 million of the pending rate hike request. The partial deal is to be aired in detail at a public hearing scheduled for today (Monday, November 27).
This request is the one from Duke Energy Progress, which covers most of the eastern part of North Carolina along with an area around Asheville. Duke Energy Carolinas, which covers the rest of the state, has its own large rate hike request pending with the NCUC. Hearings on that request are due to start in January.
Even if Duke and the Public Staff reach a deal on a joint recommendation to the NCUC regarding coal ash costs, private parties who have filed petitions with the commission can continue to argue for a different result. Attorney General Josh Stein and several citizen environmental groups are arguing that those costs have been increased by management errors and should be the financial responsibility of Duke stockholders.
