Earlier this spring, Duke Energy finally released a draft plan to reduce global-warming carbon emissions in the Carolinas. Even getting them to unveil a plan was a big struggle, and required an act of the Legislature.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, Duke’s carbon plan is a failure for our climate and communities. Local environmental and social justice organizations have found that Duke’s plan fails to meet 8 of the 12 criteria required. Fossil Free NC gives Duke’s plan a failing grade…
The plan isn’t final yet, and the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) is accepting public comments on it for another few weeks. Take action now to tell the NCUC we need a carbon reduction plan that works for Carolinians, not for dirty, dangerous Duke Energy.
- Click here to get talking points and send an online comment now.
- If you’re close enough, you can attend one of the last two in-person hearings on Thursday and Friday this week:
- If you can’t make the in-person hearings, you can sign up for one of the very limited virtual testimony sessions in August.
We can and must do better than Duke’s dirty carbon plan. Duke’s plan calls for building more than 4,000MW of new fracked gas power plants, new nuclear power plants, and leaves the dirtiest coal plants in the state to pollute until 2035.
But the NCUC doesn’t have to be a rubber stamp on Duke’s dirty plan. They can choose instead to prioritizing solar, wind, energy storage and set an ambitious timeline for getting us off coal. It’s also up to the NCUC as Duke’s main regulator to ensure the carbon plan considers a just transition for environmental justice communities and keeps utility bills affordable for everyone.
Duke had its chance, now it’s time for the rest of us to be heard by the NCUC, which will issue the final carbon plan by the end of the year. This plan is our roadmap for reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 70% by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as governor Cooper and the legislature have promised..