A notice came in our electric bill the other day.....

[TalkingDog]

Regarding Duke Energy's Application to the Public Utilities Commission asking to increase their rates by 12.6%. So if you spend $50 a month on electricity, look to give Duke an extra $6.30 every month. If you spend 100 dollars, well, there's $12.60 gone. This will afford them an additional $496,046,000, from North Carolina alone. Now I'm not sure what that number is actually supposed to be ...millions, billions, trillions .... I'm taking the number directly from the pamphlet. (Lets be generous and assume it's 496 million.)

But, the magnanimity of Duke knows no bounds, they calculate that it will really only be an 11.5% return " due to the current economic climate and hardship it's customers are facing."

See, all you unemployed, no unemployment benefits, no job prospects, mounting bills folks out there...take heart. Duke is looking out for you. They only want 11.5% more of something you don't have.

I've never been a fan of Duke Energy. I became less so over the last year. I am coming close to putting them on par with Insurance Companies. And the best thing I can say about them is: There is a special circle of Hell waiting for those people.

[mzteris]

1. well, one good thing about them-

Duke Energy Quits Controversial Coal Lobby Front Group

In a potentially devastating move for the Washington, DC coal lobby, Duke Energy has announced that it is canceling its membership with the controversial American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE).

According to a report in the National Journal today, Duke Energy "left the American Coalition for Clean Coal Energy on Tuesday over differences with 'influential member companies who will not support passing climate change legislation in 2009 or 2010.'

The following are talking points related to Duke Energy withdrawing from the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, which Duke Energy has been a member of since the fall of 2007.

· While some individual members of ACCCE are working to pass climate change legislation, we believe ACCCE is constrained by influential member companies who will not support passing climate change legislation in 2009 or 2010.

· This became increasingly apparent during and after the debate on the Waxman/Markey legislation in the U.S. House in recent months.

· This is not consistent with Duke Energy’s work to pass economy-wide and cost effective climate change legislation as soon as possible.

· Therefore, effective Sept. 1, 2009, Duke Energy resigned from ACCCE






Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-grandia/duke-energy-quits-coal-lo_b_275225.html

[TalkingDog]

2. Yeah, you'd think that if they were interested in helping with climate change

They wouldn't be building Cliffside... which is their argument for supporting a rate increase:
http://www.westerncarolinian.com/2.2015/duke-energy-s-proposed-cliffside-power-plant-will-mean-another-40-years-of-coal-dependence-for-wnc-1.145510

To give some perspective, Friedman says, "If every household in North Carolina changed a 60-watt incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent, the CO2 emissions from the proposed Cliffside plant would, within 16 days of operation, negate this entire effort." There are cleaner more efficient ways to generate electricity.

[mzteris]

3. from what I've read of the project

they're going to great lengths to extremely lessen the environmental impact. In building this plant, they will be de-commissioning an old out-dated plant.

[Lance_Boyle]

4. Duke Energy has pissed off king coal - it really does need the money. n/t

[Triana]

5. and they're doing this to fund a filthy new coal plant in Charlotte

Wonderful, eh?

If they increased rates to build a solar or wind-powered plant, I'd be OK with it but the prime reason for this increase is to pay for a new coal-burning power plant in Charlotte.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. Carolina Power and Light won my heart when our heating bill hit $485 one month in a new single-wide

trailer near Raleigh. Yeah, it was a trailer, but it was only 2 years old, and it was 1997, and we were walking around in sweaters and blankets and using the fireplace to save money as it was.

Blood suckers.