NRDC Reacts to Secret Duke Energy Bill in North Carolina

RALEIGH, NC  -- A bill drafted by Duke Energy behind closed doors with legislators was unveiled on Tuesday. The bill would mandate the construction of new natural gas plants, locking North Carolina into dirty energy generation for decades. The bill also decreases utility transparency and allows Duke to increase customers’ rates for three consecutive years at a time, requires customers to pay a $50 million subsidy to Duke for a new nuclear reactor permit, and would leave customers paying billions for Duke’s bad investments. The bill draft will be inserted into an existing legislative vehicle, HB 951.

Following is reaction from Luis Martinez, Director of Southeast Energy for the Climate & Clean Energy Program at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“This bill should be dead on arrival. It’s in stark contrast to Governor Cooper's goals to address the climate crisis and transition North Carolina to a clean energy economy. North Carolina must continue being a leader in clean energy, growing jobs, and cutting harmful emissions in the process, but this bill does not get us there--or even close.”

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.