Activists oppose Duke Energy sale to SC co-ops
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - A North Carolina utility watchdog group wants regulators to reject a deal allowing Duke Energy to sell power to South Carolina electrical co-ops.
The North Carolina Waste Awareness & Reduction Network filed its objection with the state Utilities Commission. The group said Charlotte-based Duke Energy would sell electricity resulting either from energy efficiency programs or construction of new power plants financed by ratepayers.
Company spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said it needs to modernize power plants and prepare for growing demand.
Duke Energy announced it would supply the electrical cooperatives just days after South Carolina's state-owned utility dropped plans for a $1.25 billion coal-fired power in August. The co-ops were served by Santee Cooper.
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LONDON - Carbon dioxide emissions from the global electric power sector surged past pre-pandemic levels to record highs in the first half of 2021, according to new research by London-based environmental think tank Ember.
Electricity demand and emissions are now 5% higher than where they were before the Covid-19 outbreak, which prompted worldwide lockdowns that led to a temporary drop in global greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity demand also surpassed the growth of renewable energy, the analysis found.
The findings signal a failure of countries to achieve a so-called “green recovery” that would entail shifting away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy to…
