Corporate Greed Prevails Despite Clear Data Showing Rising Bills for Constituents
Raleigh, N.C. – Today, the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV) issued the following statement regarding the North Carolina General Assembly’s decision to override the governor’s veto of Senate Bill (SB) 266:
“Today, lawmakers chose to reward corporate greed over the people they were elected to serve,” said Dan Crawford, NCLCV’s director of governmental relations. “By overriding the governor’s veto, they handed Duke Energy a blank check – one that North Carolinians will be forced to pay.
“Two independent studies found eliminating our interim climate goal – reducing greenhouse gas emissions 70% by 2030 – could raise residential customers’ rates by $23 billion by 2050 due to increasing our dependence on fossil fuels. What passed today wasn’t energy policy. It was a handout to monopoly interests, and North Carolinians will pay the price.
“Additionally, SB 266 includes a provision called CWIP (Construction Work in Progress), which allows Duke to charge customers in advance for projects that haven’t produced a single kilowatt – and may never be completed at all. This is nothing more than a gamble with ratepayers’ money, and it could cost hardworking families.
“We’ve seen this story before. Our neighbors in South Carolina and Georgia have already paid the price for similar schemes, and they warned us. Yet lawmakers chose to ignore those lessons and side with monopoly profits over public interest. This decision has nothing to do with keeping the lights on – and everything to do with padding the pockets of corporate polluters. Truly a dark day for N.C. ratepayers.
“NCLCV will continue its work to hold these legislators accountable for their votes today, both in our legislative scorecard and at the ballot box next year. North Carolinians want clean, affordable energy; and we will do everything we can to deliver for the people of this great state.”
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