The Institute for Local Self-Reliance released an interactive Utility Bill Calculator showing how excessive profits for utility investors drive up electricity bills. Users can enter their state and electricity bill amount to see the numbers for their utilities. Here's mine. ilsr.org/energy/utili...
Ideas on how energy providers and regulators can rein in runaway electricity costs.
At the same time it's seeking rate hikes for its North Carolina customers, Duke Energy is warning of a spike in disconnections related to the recent winter weather that's driving up bills.
A new report from the Environmental Defense Fund finds that Duke Energy's requested 10.95% return on equity in North Carolina -- the profit state utility regulators' allow for the company's shareholders -- is the third-highest of 53 similar proposals by U.S. utilities since November 2024.
UNC law professor Donald Hornstein said it "was sort of courageous to bring this case" but added that he hopes the plaintiffs don't pursue it any further: "I would want as clean a slate as possible to bring claims in the context of specific injuries later."
Clarifying that the $997B was the total 2022 fuel cost Duke sought to recover. They did recover most of that except for about $8 million; that's the amount Duke went back to the NCUC to recover outside of the statutory window.
The Trump administration wants to extend the life of coal plants, and to that end it's funding $34 million in upgrades to Duke Energy's Belews Creek facility along the Dan River in Stoke County, North Carolina.
An analysis of money flowing into the high-profile GOP primary race between NC Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, one of the state's most powerful politicians, and Sheriff Sam Page has identified Duke Energy money flowing to Berger.
The NC Utilities Commission erred in 2024 when it let Duke Energy recover ~$998M in fuel costs from customers, the state Court of Appeals ruled. Normally that would mean refunds. But because the legislature changed the law in 2025, the court said refunds would be pointless. They err, customers pay.
A new report from Gov. Josh Stein's North Carolina Energy Policy Task Force focuses attention on the "uniquely high energy needs" of data centers and how to spread the costs fairly among Duke Energy's customers.
NC Gov. Josh Stein's choice for the Utilities Commission is NC State Professor John Gajda, who previously worked for the Commission and Public Staff, state electric cooperatives, Duke Energy, and Strata Clean Energy.
The North Carolina Business Court has dismissed Carrboro's groundbreaking climate-damage lawsuit against Duke Energy, holding that the case raises nonjusticiable political questions that courts aren't equipped or authorized to decide. Carrboro is reportedly considering whether to appeal.
"… if the Endangerment Finding is overturned, the electric power sector could be broadly exposed to tort and nuisance suits brought by citizens and states—as was the case prior to EPA regulation of [greenhouse gases]," wrote Eric Holdsworth of the industry's Edison Electric Institute back in 2019.
The NC Utilities Commission appointment fight heads to the state Supreme Court. Treasurer Brad Briner won a lower court ruling to keep his new appointment power, giving the GOP control over the commission majority, and now he's appealing to the high court to lock in the precedent.
St. Petersburg, Florida, is now accepting bids from consulting companies to complete a study weighing the pros and cons of cutting ties with Duke Energy and operating its own municipal-run electric utility.
“Duke Energy today announced billions in profits while hard-working North Carolina families struggle to pay bills that continue to increase," said Meech Carter, clean energy campaigns director at the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters.
Duke Energy will discuss its 2025 earnings this morning. The company took $4.97 billion in profit, up from $4.4 billion the previous year.
Wild times in Alabama. After Georgia voters kicked out incumbent utilities commissioners cozy with Georgia Power, Alabama lawmakers are considering *ending elections* for their commission and moving to appointments made by politicians subject to the influence of Alabama Power's money.
In Florida communities considering cutting ties with Duke Energy, shadowy alliances have sprung up to fight municipalization, and local officials suspect they're connected to the company. Duke denies it, but it's refusing to answer follow-up questions about whether it's funding them.
Dump Duke was joined by Faith in Florida, Suncoast Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, St. Petersburg City Council Vice Chair Richie Floyd, and the Pinellas chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. www.cltampa.com/news/dump-du...
WRAL compared Texas' robust electrical grid protection regime with North Carolina's. "The Texas situation should have sprung us into action, to think about this in advance," said North Carolina state Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford.
The group pressing the Florida cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater to take over local electric power systems now operated by Duke Energy held a press conference yesterday to talk about the effort. "We already run our own water and trash with no hiccups," noted Clearwater resident Megan Panek.
The schedule of public hearings on Duke Energy's proposed North Carolina rate hikes is out. They kick off with a hearing on the Duke Energy Progress request on March 30 in Raleigh.
Many North Carolina solar farms are nearing the end of their initial agreements with Duke Energy. But under a new proposal before state regulators, project owners could lock in favorable long-term renewals if they add batteries.
Duke Energy avoided major disruptions during this past weekend's Winter Storm Fern, but it's not out of the woods yet as this week brings unusually cold temperatures that will stress power systems.
Hearings on Duke Energy's proposed carbon plan for the Carolinas kick off on Feb. 4 in Durham, and the NC Sustainable Energy Association has released a helpful analysis of the proposal.
Unlike Texas, where lawmakers mandated winterization standards with inspections and penalties after Winter Storm Uri, the NC legislature did not pass a law requiring specific cold-weather performance standards for Duke Energy or other utilities after Winter Storm Elliot in 2022.
