Groups Ask N.C. Utilities Commission to Scrutinize Deals Utilities Made with Themselves to Claim Need for $5B Pipeline - Duke, Dominion would own the pipeline while their subsidiaries would be customers

The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of the Sierra Club, filed a motion with the North Carolina Utilities Commission urging the Commission to reconsider its approval of contracts that Duke Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy Progress, and Piedmont Natural Gas have signed with Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC for capacity on the pipeline. To justify the need for the $5 billion pipeline to federal regulators, the developers-- Dominion Resources, Duke Energy, and Southern Company--point to contracts with their own subsidiaries for capacity on the pipeline. If the $5 billion pipeline is approved, Duke and Piedmont customers in North Carolina will pay for the pipeline, including the 14 percent return that will go to the companies’ shareholders.

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The Concerned Citizens of Richmond County and Dogwood Alliance joined with faith, justice, health and science leaders to call on North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to stop the continued growth of the wood pellet industry in the state.  The groups held a press conference to share a  and a people asking the Governor to revoke a flawed air permit granted to Enviva, the world’s largest wood pellet manufacturer. Community members opposing Enviva hand-delivered the petitions and letter to the offices of Governor Cooper and NC DEQ following the event.

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Federal law requires energy regulators to start over with the environmental review process for a proposed $5.6 billion fracked gas pipeline because Dominion Resources and Duke Energy have continued to file huge piles of supplemental information to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) months after a complete application was required.

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $3,042,000 to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to implement and enforce the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The award was made under the Public Water System Supervision program and will go toward NCDEQ’s oversight of the 5,677 public water systems serving approximately nine million people. 

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NC WARN is urging state regulators to break their pattern of settling rate cases and mergers with Duke Energy behind closed doors.  The long-running practice undercuts the public wellbeing and gives the utility exactly what it really wants – covered by a thin pretense of regulatory oversight.  We are also calling on Attorney General Josh Stein not to be drawn into backroom negotiations, and instead to stand up for the public against allowing Duke’s attempt to recover billions in coal ash clean-up costs that were caused by its executives’ illegal actions. 

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