Press release from the Sunrise Movement AVL:
On July 27, the North Carolina Utilities Commission will be hosting a hearing in Asheville to hear testimony from the people of Asheville and western North Carolina regarding Duke Energy’s proposed state Carbon Plan. The North Carolina General Assembly mandated development of a plan to reduce carbon emissions of the power sector by 70% by 2030 vs 2005 levels.This proposal severely limits the amount of solar capacity Duke is willing to allow, continues Duke’s refusal to allow third-party sales (including community solar), discourages installation of rooftop solar by increasing costs of net metering, and relies too heavily on oil, gas and unsustainable, unproven energy sources. Duke’s plan also unjustly raises prices on ratepayers while underutilizing consumer generation — a policy that will hurt poor people and people of color the most. By focusing on carbon, Duke’s plan also entirely ignores the problem of methane emissions, which traps about 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide.The future of the planet should not be dependent on private utilities like Duke Energy. The utilities commission needs to reject Duke’s carbon plan and write an energy plan of its own, as required by HB951. The utilities commission also needs to support communities like Asheville that want to cut carbon emissions through renewable energy that does not pass costs onto ratepayers.Sources like solar and wind energy plus battery storage, which are now less expensive than gas, oil and nuclear, will allow us to cut energy costs and not continue to burden our neighbors with pollution and the earth with greenhouse gasses. We need to continue pressing Duke Energy and the utilities commission to provide us the renewable energy future we deserve.What: Rally before the North Carolina Utilities Commissions’ Carbon Plan HearingWhen: July 27th at 5:15 p.m. Where: Buncombe County Courthouse, College St Plaza entranceWho: Appalachian Voices, Sunrise Movement AVL, Alliance to Protect the People and the Places We Live (APPPL), Beyond Extreme Energy (BXE)
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