Tag Archives: North Carolina

Koch Brother Fronts Flood into Kansas to Attack Wind Industry – REPORT

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Correction: this post listed KS Sen. Julia Lynn as a supporter of the RPS freeze–she is not and her name was removed below.

A recent flood of Koch-supported think tanks, junk scientists and astroturf groups from inside and outside of Kansas are awaiting the outcome of a bill this week that could stall progress on the growth of clean energy in Kansas.

States around the country, including Texas, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina are poised to cut back on government support for clean energy jobs using model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC, which brings companies together with state lawmakers to forge a wish list of corporate state laws behind closed doors, is coordinating this year’s assault on state laws that require a gradual increase of electricity generated by clean energy sources.

ALEC and a hoard of other Koch-funded interests operating under the umbrella of the State Policy Network have hit Kansas legislators hard with junk economic studies, junk science and a junk vision of more polluting energy in Kansas’ future. Koch Industries lobbyist Jonathan Small has added direct pressure on Kansas lawmakers to rollback support for clean energy.

This fossil fuel-funded attack ignores the good that wind energy has done for Kansas, a state known for its bipartisan support for its growing wind industry (see key report by Polsinelli Shughart). The state now has 19 operating wind farms that have brought millions to farmers leasing their land and millions more to the state, county and local levels (NRDC). The American Wind Energy Association says that Kansas wind industry jobs have grown to 13,000 with the help of incentives like the renewable portfolio standard.

Unfortunately, clean energy is not palatable to the billionaire Koch brothers or the influence peddlers they finance. Continue reading →

GUEST BLOG: Duke Energy Ties to NC Governor Increase Concerns over Bill to Fire State Utilities Commission

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This guess post was written by Sue Sturgis for the Institute for Southern Studies’ online magazine, Facing South.

This is a critical moment for North Carolina’s energy future, as a packed public hearing held in Raleigh this week showed — and there are growing concerns that the politician who might get to make key decisions about it has significant conflicts of interest. Continue reading →

NC: Duke Energy Gave $147,000 to Sponsors of SB10 Power Grab

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The North Carolina legislature is taking the unprecedented step of firing 131 officials from several policy and regulatory boards, including the Utilities Commission overseeing Duke Energy, the Environmental Management Commission, and two bodies overseeing policies for the N.C. Coastal Management Program. The bill, SB 10, has already passed in the state Senate and is expected to make its way through the House before winding up on Gov. Pat McCrory’s desk.

Contributions from freshly-merged Duke Energy and Progress Energy to the SB 10 SPONSORS total $147,000:

3 of 3 primary sponsors: $102,500 from Duke Energy and Progress Energy

  • Sen. Tom Apodaca – $35,000 from Duke and $30,500 from Progress (2002-2012)
  • Sen. K. Neal Hunt – $19,000 from Duke and $12,000 from Progress (2004-2012)
  • Sen. Bill Rabon – $3,000 from Duke and $3,000 from Progress (2010-2012)

4 of 9 co-sponsors: $44,500 from Duke Energy and Progress Energy

  • Sen. Andrew C. Brock – $8,500 from Duke and $2,000 from Progress (2002-2012)
  • Sen. Harry Brown – $14,000 from Duke and $11,000 from Progress (2006-2012)
  • Sen. Thom Goolsby – $1,000 from Duke and $2,000 from Progress (2010-2012)
  • Sen. Louis Pate – $3,000 from Duke and $3,000 from Progress (2008-2010)

While Duke Energy recently shut down a couple old coal plants, it also just started operating a new coal boiler at its Cliffside Steam Station in NC. Duke’s coal pollution already contributed to over 400 deaths in North Carolina each year according to the Clean Air Task Force (see also this map). NC Governor Pat McCrory worked for Duke Energy for 28 years, and has already hired several other former Duke executives for his transition team and cabinet.

Groups like NC Warn and AARP of North Carolina were already concerned about incoming Gov. McCrory’s ability to promote industry-friendly regulators to open positions in the NC Utilities Commission. With SB10 well on its way toward McCrory’s desk, the situation is far more grave than good-government advocates realized.

It appears that between Duke Energy, McCrory’s new multimillionaire budget director Art Pope, and shill groups bankrolled by Pope and the billionaire Koch brothers, North Carolina’s government is co-opted and poised to deliver some serious blows to the state’s environment, the global climate, and the health of people affected by pollution and climate-related disasters.

A Blueprint for Corporate Control of Democracy

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Duke Energy Burns CoalSomething is happening in North Carolina that has profound repercussions for the rest of the country.

As we speak, Senate Bill 10 (SB 10) has passed the North Carolina Senate and will make its way to the House before it goes to the Governor, who has the option to veto or sign it. That’s nothing out of the usual, until you read the text of the bill. Continue reading →

Duke Energy is Shutting Down Two Coal Plants: What’s Next?

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Kumi Naidoo and Greenpeace boat at Riverbend coal plant

Today, Duke Energy, the biggest electric utility in the country, announced that it is shutting down two coal-fired power plants near Charlotte, North Carolina — the Buck and Riverbend plants.

The closures are great news, both for communities in North Carolina who want healthy air and water, and for everyone around the world, since burning coal is the leading U.S. cause of global warming.

Continue reading →

Duke Energy Flip-Flop: ALEC Leads Attack on North Carolina Clean Energy with Duke Funding

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Corporate polluters are taking aim this year at states with renewable energy laws, starting with an attack on North Carolina’s clean energy economy by a corporate front group known as ALEC with support from Duke Energy, ExxonMobil, and Koch Industries.

NC Rep. Mike Hager: ALEC member and former Duke Energy employee.

North Carolina state Representative Mike Hager says he is confident that he has the votes needed to weaken or undo his state’s clean energy requirements during his second term. Rep. Hager is a former Duke Energy engineer and a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. Duke and Progress Energy (now legally merged) have given Rep. Hager $14,500 for his last two election bids, outspent only by the NC Republican Party.

This is where ALEC makes things awkward for Duke Energy: the law that Rep. Mike Hager is targeting (2007 SB3) was created with input from Duke Energy, and Duke explicitly opposes ALEC’s “Electricity Freedom Act,” the model law to repeal state Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (REPS). Duke Energy re-asserted its support for North Carolina’s REPS law to the Charlotte Business Journal last April and Progress Energy publicly supported the law before merging with Duke.

Apparently, Duke forgot about supporting North Carolina’s clean energy incentives somewhere along the way. Duke Energy remains a paying member of the American Legislative Exchange Council. Continue reading →

Behind the scenes: Charlotte’s coal ash problem

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This post originally appeared in Coal Ash Chronicles.

Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman, an independent journalist, aims to answer questions about coal ash during a nationwide tour where she’ll collect stories from all sides of the coal ash issue and share them  on CoalAshChronicles.com. But, you don’t have to wait for her to come to you, you can share your story now — upload it here.

Dear readers,
Here’s something for you to keep in mind as you read the news: There’s always more to the story.

Since I’m collecting coal ash stories, I’ll summarize a couple of my own regarding Charlotte, North Carolina’s coal ash issue to give you a peek behind the scenes. Continue reading →

Duke CEO doesn’t deliver on his clean energy talk

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Greenpeace thermal airship sends a message to Duke Energy's headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Yesterday morning, Greenpeace activists Madhura Deshpande, Mike Karnosky, Holly Hanks and I attended the Triangle Business Journal’s Power Breakfast with Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, the largest electric utility in the country.

Greenpeace activists confront Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers

This was Mr. Rogers’ first public appearance in the Triangle since the completion of the massive merger with Progress Energy.   We asked  Mr. Rogers directly about how he could justify asking North Carolina families to pay much more than they do to fund Duke Energy building new dirty coal and nuclear plants.  He avoided the question and tried to make it sound like they were doing more than they are with renewable energy. Continue reading →

You gotta walk the walk to talk the talk, Duke Energy

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Greenpeace airship flies over a Duke coal plant in North Carolina

Duke Energy has revamped its logo. With swooping green and blue bands, the new corporate brand seems intended to invoke thoughts of sustainability. But sadly, Duke Energy has done nothing to change its energy mix.  Set to become the largest coal fired utility in the country, Duke relies heavily on a dirty energy cocktail of coal and nuclear energy.

Following it’s controversial merger with Progress Energy earlier this year, Duke clearly felt the need to innovate. But innovation doesn’t come naturally to Duke – its most recent annual report shows a plan for a mere 3% renewable energy by 2032. Continue reading →

Corporate Confrontations and the DNC

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Protesters at Duke Energy

Protesters at Duke Energy headed off by police

The convention in Charlotte is over and I can’t help but write down some thoughts. Lots of environmentalists are happy that President Obama at least made some mention of climate change in his speech last night. I am too. That said, I think there are some systemic issues that I’d like to point out with what happened in Charlotte.

This city was unnecessarily locked down. Groups of between 15 and 20 officers on bike and on foot were everywhere. Tinted black Suburbans cruised the streets while massive checkpoints dominated the major thoroughfares. All areas of uptown Charlotte were gated and pathways were walled off. I saw one estimate that five miles of barricades have been ordered. That seems like an understatement.

Freedom of movement and speech should not be severely restricted in a functional democracy. It simply wasn’t this way 4 years ago in Denver.

Something is different.

Charlotte is the corporate headquarters of Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Duke Energy. Here, these companies run the show. As Duke CEO Jim Rogers spoke last night about a “grandchildren test,” I couldn’t help but think there was a good deal of hypocrisy in the air.

He wants new nukes – those create radioactive waste that has a half-life of thousands of years. He is putting two new coal plants online within the next year – these will scour the land, poison generations of people and destroy the climate. He has no plans for new wind and solar.

Then again, this convention has been all about contrasts. Though called the “people’s convention,” it has been paid for by corporations. Despite the token displays of solar panels and recycling centers, there are four coal-fired power plants and two nuclear plants that ring the city.

Again, this is a corporate convention.

It’s infuriating that corporations can dictate the scope of our Constitutional rights to free speech, association, and movement has become surprisingly normal. The lines of police around the banks and energy companies headquartered here makes that abundantly clear.

That’s why I came to Charlotte and that’s why I’m an activist: to make things better. Not to be a partisan. We have an environmental objective in mind: a more just, diverse and ecologically sustainable world.

Whether Republican or Democrat, the next administration is going to have to make sure to keep that in mind.