NC WARN

UPDATE

The following people conducted peaceful civil disobedience by blocking the main entry to the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh today for 4 hours. State Capitol Police chose not to arrest them. See the original news release followed by their statements below.

Dr. Susan Crate
Dale Evarts
Keval Kaur Khalsa
Gary Phillips
Amanda Robertson
Jim Warren

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Today’s Climate Protest at NC Governor’s Mansion Begins Campaign of Civil Disobedience

Scientists, elected officials, storm survivors escalate demand that Gov. Josh Stein halt Duke Energy’s “crimes against humanity” as hurricane-heatwave season looms

Durham, NC – Despite global heating and human suffering both accelerating toward a point of no return, one of the world’s worst climate polluters is massively expanding the use of fossil fuels while suppressing a transition to clean power. Today, prominent climate experts, storm survivors and elected officials demand that Gov. Stein stop what they call Duke Energy’s “crimes against humanity” instead of acting as the corporation’s accomplice.

The community leaders say they feel morally compelled to peacefully risk being arrested in order to challenge the greater crimes committed by decision-makers at the Charlotte-based polluter. They say the state’s top elected official must finally begin telling North Carolinians the truth about Duke Energy’s role in driving the global climate crisis – and use his powerful voice and authority to change the polluter’s climate- and rate-wrecking expansion.

Jim Warren, executive director of NC WARN, said today, “Duke Energy executives are committing crimes against humanity, and Gov. Stein needs to finally stop them. He is complicit in their crimes by echoing Duke’s 50-year pattern of corporate deception by claiming this state is a clean energy leader and supporting Duke’s totally meaningless goal of being “carbon neutral” by 2050 while ignoring its planned 12,000 megawatt fossil fuel expansion.”

Despite the science showing worldwide temperatures surging past limits deemed crucial by climate scientists, Duke Energy plans the largest US buildout of power generation from both fracked gas and experimental nuclear plants while blunting the growth of clean, affordable solar and wind power. 

The protesters cite their moral duty to act in support of communities, workers, farmers and others being hurt first and worst by weather extremes and soaring power bills. Those people are now facing another potentially horrific storm and heatwave season – on top of record-breaking drought and an ongoing increase in wildfires. 

Over 60 scientists have openly pressed Stein to help stop Duke’s climate-wrecking trajectory. But the Governor has so far ignored their warning that, “It’s really an emergency … to use all the levers we can to push Duke Energy away from this fossil fuel path,” as emphasized by globally prominent Duke University climatologist Drew Shindell in recent video ads. Dozens of state and local elected officials have joined the call, as have over 300 businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Bobby Jones, a statewide environmental justice leader from Goldsboro, said “The stressors of living in what has become Hurricane Alley haunt us. There is no way for us to escape its climate disasters and harm. As a key cause of the global climate crisis, Duke Energy keeps raising our rates to build dirty and dangerous power plants, thus forcing us to pay for our own demise. We need Governor Stein to stand in the gap on our behalf; stop Duke Energy’s crimes against humanity and against the good people of North Carolina.” 

Since the 1990s, eastern North Carolina has been devastated by multiple hurricanes, other torrential rains and, increasingly, heat waves and droughts that harm farmers, residents, outdoor workers, forests and wildlife. Recent storms have similarly devastated western and central parts of the state. 

Despite the recurring disasters, North Carolina seems dominated by a “business as usual” mindset based on unfettered growth.

As NC WARN told the Governor recently, “The climate science community continues releasing extremely troubling news about the global failure to avoid accelerated warming as humanity approaches a point of no return – even as a soaring number of people and wildlife are already being devastated.”

Warren added today, “For decades Duke Energy has owned our state’s governors, legislators and regulators. As global heating grows increasingly desperate, Governor Stein must break free and act on behalf of North Carolinians – particularly those already suffering – as scientists demand sweeping changes by 2030.”

As the 61 scientists told Stein last year: “We implore you to lead in the transition away from fossil fuels and to the renewable, resilient, equitable, affordable, and sustainable energy future that humanity desperately needs.”

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Photo Credit: Ethan Hyman / The News & Observer

STATEMENTS

Dr. Susan Crate, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, Dept of Environmental Science & Policy, George Mason University 

“I am here today because of the urgency of us doing everything we can to reverse climate change. … We are calling on Governor Stein to stop being Duke Energy’s accomplice and to call them out and demand what all North Carolinians deserve! Rapid development of renewables and the phasing out of dirty fuels!”

Gary Phillips, businessman, pastor and the former Chair of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners

“I’m taking the extraordinary step today of facing arrest if necessary because my faith demands that I not allow a wrong to go unanswered. Duke Energy’s actions in North Carolina, its continual assault against nature and the people of North Carolina, its perfidious pursuit after power and profit, have called us here as witnesses to form a stumbling block against their continual actions against our lands, our people and our natural progress.”

Dale Evarts, former head of the Climate and International Group at the US Environmental Protection Agency

“Our climate is no longer stable. … It is beyond anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes. Each year new records are set for temperatures and the costs of climate-related damage. Other countries I’ve worked with don’t doubt climate science. They know that fossil fuels are causing enormous damage and are turning to renewable energy to save money, avoid costly wars, and stabilize our planet’s climate at the same time. But here in the U.S. and in North Carolina, Duke Energy is blocking the changes needed to ensure a future climate that will keep our families and kids safe for generations to come. This is immoral and it is a crime. So I am calling on Governor Stein to stop Duke’s massive fossil fuel expansion and to lead our state towards clean, safe, reliable, affordable, renewable energy.”

Keval Kaur Khalsa, retired Duke University professor and longtime yoga instructor

“Duke Energy and Governor Stein claim that North Carolina is a “clean energy leader.” In fact, Duke Energy has been running their greenwashing and climate deception campaign for 50 years. This is madness, and I’m here calling on Gov. Stein to stop the madness now. … We are in a climate emergency, and when faced with an emergency, we need action now. Gov. Stein – we need you to stand up to Duke Energy, to stand up for us – to take action now.”

Amanda Robertson, business owner and Chair of Chatham County Commission, but speaking as a private citizen

“Free sun energy solutions have been available to Duke Energy for decades and they outright refuse to invest in them. They instead produce snazzy commercials and marketing campaigns to gaslight all of us, trying to convince everyone they are pursuing clean, green, energy, while they instead continue to ramp up gas and coal. Our government still does nothing to hold Duke Energy accountable. … I call on Governor Stein to act. To move against the corrupt, dirty agenda that Duke Energy has us all saddled with and use your executive authority as Governor of North Carolina to force Duke Energy to change course today!”

Jim Warren, Executive Director of NC WARN

“It’s like science fiction: Instead of the actual ‘clean energy transition’ it has touted for years, Duke Energy leads the US in expanding fossil fuels. … We must stop this runaway train before the world’s corporate psychopaths wipe out life on Earth, and our Governor must take the lead.”

An additional statement was made by Sara Heilman, Energy Policy Coordinator at NC WARN

“We have a unique opportunity here in our state, where Duke Energy is headquartered, to change the course of one the largest and most insidious polluting entities in the world. Changing Duke Energy could mean a major difference in the future that young people are facing. Will our Governor continue to protect this massive corporate polluter, or will he be brave, and stand up for that future?”

Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes. 

The post Climate Protest at NC Governor’s Mansion Begins Campaign of Civil Disobedience — NC WARN News Release appeared first on NC WARN.

New info bolsters need for NC Governor Josh Stein and the legislature to stop the climate- and rate-wrecking corporate polluter from building unneeded power plants

Why is a monopoly corporate utility allowed to recruit more and more power-hungry businesses into its territory? And why is it allowed to spend millions of customer dollars every year doing so?

Last week, Duke Energy filed a cleverly worded report to regulators about its anticipated influx of data centers to North Carolina. The filing isn’t transparent about the utility’s role in recruiting those industrial customers, but Duke has long had a well-resourced economic development department that coaxes hundreds of power-using industries into the state.

Now, as always, Duke’s eye-popping projection of massive growth in electricity usage is  designed to bolster its bogus case for building unneeded power plants with customers’ dollars.

Enticing data centers to the state and offering tax breaks on their power usage runs counter to the overall interest of the people of North Carolina. Such developments are facing well-aimed backlash due to the multiple negative community impacts and creation of very few jobs. 

“Duke Energy is committed to supporting economic vitality in the Carolinas by collaborating with current and prospective customers and communities to understand and plan for future energy needs,” the filing says.

Duke leaders plan to drive up power bills and keep gouging customers by adding an unprecedented $60 billion to the rate system in just the next 4 years in the Carolinas. 

We appreciate Governor Stein for challenging the sales tax incentive. But he must stop the monopoly’s recruiting of new business to pad its investors’ pockets while abusing the people of North Carolina and blocking climate solutions.

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Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes. 

The post Duke Energy Recruits Data Centers to NC Using Millions of Customer Dollars Each Year — NC WARN News Release appeared first on NC WARN.

NC Governor Josh Stein must stop the giant polluter from – once again – squandering billions on failed nukes, hugely expanding fracked gas and thwarting climate protections

War is peace. Ignorance is strength. Darkness is light. And a $36 billion nuclear construction debacle in Georgia proves the next attempt will be a cinch. That’s the contorted deceit Duke Energy is hawking to North Carolina utility regulators – even while demanding that state residents and federal taxpayers shoulder the myriad financial risks.  

And what about the super-hyped need to add over $60 billion to electric rates by 2030? That’s more deception from one of the world’s worst climate polluters; as always, Duke’s eye-popping projections of massive growth in electricity needs – so it can keep building power plants – are also bogus.

Bill Powers, a veteran energy engineer from San Diego, destroys the rationale for Duke’s latest attempt to gouge the public in his new report for NC WARN. It signals climate and economic disaster if state officials keep allowing the monopoly corporation to keep lying to us all.

NC WARN delivered the engineer’s report to Governor Josh Stein today. And we’re again calling for the Governor to heed the evidence – and finally stop parroting Duke’s deception that this state is a clean energy leader.

In short, just as it has since 2005, Duke Energy leaders are set to squander precious years and billions of public dollars gambling on nuclear and fracked gas technologies while suppressing  reliable – and far cheaper – climate solutions that could help to rapidly phase out fossil fuels. Other key points in Powers’ report:

• The two Georgia reactors Duke plans to copy are the most expensive power plants ever built, and they caused rates to soar 24% even as the Georgia Power monopoly profited.
• Georgia’s top inspector said the enormous cost overruns and drawn-out construction timeline at that Vogtle site would be repeated with any new nuclear project.       
• Duke already failed six times trying to build the very same Westinghouse AP1000 used at Vogtle, a giant nuclear reactor, while it kept suppressing competition from solar and wind power.
• Duke identifies no lessons learned that would mitigate the chance of more failures. 
• Even if Duke succeeded building AP1000s or mythical “small” modular reactors, none would open until at least 2037 – far too late to help with global warming or to power data centers.
• Contrary to the hype, power usage in Duke’s monopoly-captive territories did not grow at all from 2015 through 2024 despite large population growth and 100 new data centers.
• Duke’s existing coal- and gas-fired generation can be replaced with reliable solar-plus-storage on roofs, parking areas and urban lots – the most flexible and least expensive way to quickly and fairly add new generation, if it’s needed.

Duke has provided no indication of how it would avoid repeating the massive cost overruns and delays plaguing the AP1000 reactor; it simply claims the Georgia project is proof that large nukes are worth the gamble of public dollars.  

As NC WARN told Stein today, Duke Energy’s 18 failed attempts to build reactors over the years should disqualify it from risking any public money, state or federal.

Duke’s corporate bosses always make fantastical claims about the need to keep building power plants, and year after year, they’ve been horribly wrong. Spectacular claims of future demand are highly speculative as resistance to new data centers soars and efficient technologies continue to emerge. 

As we’ve told Gov. Stein, he should require any new data centers to generate their power on-site with solar plus battery storage (SPS). And he should lead the state in adding SPS to emergency shelters and other facilities critical to public safety during power outages.

As climatologist Drew Shindell emphasizes in our ads and documentary, it really is an emergency to get Duke Energy off fossil fuels. It’s obvious that gambling public billions on proven nuclear failures is a loser for North Carolina and the global struggle to avert runaway climate and social chaos.

Moreover, new nukes would be dangerous, generate deadly waste and use vast amounts of water that might not be available due to accelerating droughts and heatwaves.

Gov. Stein needs to heed the scientists instead of Duke Energy’s propaganda masters.

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Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes. 

The post Expert Exposes Duke Energy’s Orwellian Claims about Failure-Prone Nuclear Reactors and Mythical Need for Power Plants — NC WARN News Release appeared first on NC WARN.