1,066 North Carolinians Demand a Cleaner, Cheaper Plan
August 1, 2024
Today, the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters Foundation (NCLCVF) submitted a petition by 1,066 North Carolinians calling on the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) to reject Duke Energy’s proposed Carbon Reduction Plan and instead establish a robust and more affordable plan that rapidly transitions our state to a clean energy economy.
By law (HB 951), Duke Energy is required to put forward a carbon reduction plan every two years that provides the lowest cost and most reliable energy possible, while achieving a seventy percent (70%) reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from electric generating facilities owned or operated by electric public utilities from 2005 levels by the year 2030 and carbon neutrality by the year 2050. Instead, Duke has proposed the largest buildout of dirty fossil gas in the nation, along with incredibly expensive, unproven, small modular nuclear reactors, and proposes to push the deadline for interim compliance back to 2035.
“The people of North Carolina demand that the NC Utilities Commission hold Duke Energy accountable and reject their dirty, expensive carbon plan. Instead, we all want the Utilities Commision to require Duke to deliver cheaper, cleaner power that doesn’t negatively impact our most vulnerable communities,” said Michelle “Meech” Carter, director of clean energy campaigns for NCLCVF.
The petition is part of a larger effort by NCLCVF to call on NCUC to act in a manner that represents the public interest by the least cost, most reliable means, which is mandated by the law. NCLCVF began a broadcast and digital advertising campaign in March that will run at least until the NCUC’s plan is announced in late December. Additionally, Carter testified and submitted testimony at one of the public hearings in April.
According to analysis by the Public Staff of the NCUC, Duke’s plan does not effectively meet the requirements of the legislation and pushes the window for compliance too far out. The Public Staff recommends more solar, wind, and battery storage, as well as less gas than the Duke plan calls for. Additionally, the Public Staff recommends Duke should maximize the benefits of the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) loan program. Aggressively seeking EIR funds could lead to increased renewable and storage deployment and could save ratepayers more than $400 million through 2032. Carter’s testimony cited other analysis that came to similar conclusions.
“NC League of Conservation Voters Foundation will continue to work toward a clean energy future where greedy monopolies do not exploit communities to get rich while polluting our environment,” said Carrie Clark, executive director of NCLCVF.
The petition language is as follows:
We, the undersigned, strongly urge the NC Utilities Commission to reject Duke Energy’s proposed NC Carbon Plan, and instead establish a robust and more affordable plan that rapidly transitions our state to a clean energy economy. Given the urgent state of the climate crisis and the soaring cost of energy, the Commission must investigate and choose the best ways to reduce carbon emissions as fast as possible, while also minimizing cost and ensuring equity. Duke’s current plan does not do that.
We believe the Utilities Commission must create a plan that:
- Meets the goals laid out in the Energy Solutions for North Carolina (HB 951) law; specifically, the plan must reduce electric sector carbon emissions 70% by 2030 (relative to 2005 levels), and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
- Adhere to the “least cost/most reliable” standard mandated by the law by incorporating sufficient resources that both increase renewable energy supply and reduce demand by utilizing all available low-carbon technologies and mechanisms that abate costs, including taking full advantage of benefits provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Avoids ongoing inequitable impacts in communities around the state.
