Duke Energy Continues Pushing Gas Despite Past Failures
On the anniversary of last year’s winter storm–which saw rolling blackouts affecting a half-million North Carolina households–clean energy advocates call attention to Duke Energy’s wrong-headed response. Instead of pursuing economical and environmentally responsible plans, Duke continues pushing for more of the same gas-fired generation which failed last year.
“North Carolinians deserve power that remains reliable when they need it the most. If our grid had more solar, wind, and storage available last winter, Duke could have avoided blackouts,” said Mary Maclean Asbill, director of the North Carolina offices of the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). “North Carolinians shouldn’t pay the price for Duke’s misguided devotion to the same polluting energy source that knocked the power out last year.”
Despite that reality, Duke asked the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) to approve a “carbon plan” early this year. This plan relies heavily on increased gas-powered electric generation and infrastructure. The fallout from doubling down on Duke’s failed strategy is already being seen in higher electric rates on North Carolinians.
Who’s Paying for Duke’s Failures?
Duke’s motive is clear: increase profits by increasing gas-fired power. But gas-fired power is only more profitable because they push the costs onto consumers to foot the higher electric bills.
Cassie Gavin, director of policy at the NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA), says Duke’s plans show “the utility is prioritizing the interests of shareholders over that of North Carolina customers. Their carbon plan filing is a slap in the face of residents who will bear the brunt of significant rate hikes, largely attributed to the utility’s desire to build costly, unreliable natural gas plants. Groups like NCSEA have already demonstrated that renewables including wind, solar, and storage are the most cost-effective and reliable option to keep rates low and the lights on which should be a top priority for a utility that experienced blackouts at the end of 2022.”
See more details of NCSEA’s analysis here. Then read our statement on the carbon plan.
“Only 1.5% Renewable Energy”
Carson Butts, Raleigh Director of Conservatives for Clean Energy, puts the matter this way in an opinion piece for the Raleigh News & Observer.
“Putting all our eggs in one energy basket isn’t smart. We’re all familiar with the concept of diversification helping to insulate consumers in a variety of situations, and it’s applicable to our state’s power system, too. Duke Energy’s current mix of energy sources is about 50% coal and gas, and only 1.5% renewable energy. This is concerning as it relates to the rolling blackouts. In Duke’s testimony to the NC Utilities Commission in January and in reports from federal agencies, we learned that it was cold weather-related failures at its coal and gas plants that were the primary cause of the blackouts. Renewable energy facilities, including those generating electricity from solar arrays and wind turbines, continued performing throughout the cold weather.
“North Carolina would be served well by further diversifying its energy mix with more renewable energy sources, particularly when paired with battery storage options that can help make that affordable, reliable power accessible even when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing.”
Ultimately, Duke Energy prioritizes profits at the expense of its costumers. Yet North Carolinians are standing up against the regulated monopoly. North Carolinians deserve better.
