A lengthy bill dealing with data centers and energy policy is moving at the North Carolina General Assembly. Section 10 of the bill prohibits the retirement of expensive coal plants until state regulators give a green light to new nuclear energy facilities. That means more years relying on costly, dirty fuel, when we could be transitioning to renewable energy sources that are cheaper to run, faster to build, and better for the environment.
Use our form to tell lawmakers: Drop Section 10 from Senate Bill 730.
The best way to protect rate payers is by retiring expensive coal plants and building cheaper generation, especially those without fuel costs, such as solar and batteries. Burning coal in aging plants has become one of the most expensive ways to generate electricity, even before counting the significant environmental costs. Coal costs have risen in recent years, and Duke Energy’s customers, not shareholders, are on the hook for it.
We don’t need to extend the lives of coal plants beyond Duke Energy’s current retirement schedule, and we certainly don’t need a law that dictates it.
