nc utilities commission

April 12, 2019 - North Carolina is now the third state in the South to order utilities to excavate all of their coal ash pits and move the toxic material to lined landfills. Duke Energy wants to charge its customers for the work, but some state lawmakers are trying to prevent that from happening. Meanwhile, the company is challenging the order.

March 1, 2019 - A new coalition seeks to end Duke Energy's electric monopoly in North Carolina in hopes of hastening the shift to clean energy. There's also an effort underway to bring competition to the electricity market in Florida, where Duke operates as a regional monopoly.

November 27, 2018 - Two environmental advocacy groups have filed a petition with the N.C. Utilities Commission calling on regulators to bar the electric utility monopoly from spending millions of dollars a year collected from captive customers to promote its political interests.

July 7, 2016 - The utility initially requested a $50 million bond from two climate watchdog groups challenging the planned construction of a $1 billion gas plant near Asheville. Now Duke is asking for almost triple that amount in a move with serious implications for democracy.

June 9, 2016 - Two climate watchdogs will now have a chance to continue their appeal of North Carolina regulators' decision allowing Duke Energy to build a $1.1 billion fracked gas power plant thanks to an order handed down this week by the state appeals court rejecting a $10 million bond requirement from the nonprofit groups.

May 26, 2016 - In recent weeks, the company got the N.C. Utilities Commission to require an unprecedented $10 million bond from grassroots groups seeking to block construction of a fracked gas plant and lobbied N.C. lawmakers to get a coal ash bill that watchdogs have blasted as a "bailout" and a "sweetheart deal."

April 18, 2016 - North Carolina regulators ruled against NC WARN after it installed solar panels on the roof of a church and sold it the electricity, saying the arrangement violates the state's private utility monopoly system. The nonprofit says it will take the case to court.

January 29, 2016 - The utility company wants to build a new $750 million gas-fired power plant in Western North Carolina. But it's been less than forthcoming with details about the plan, so environmental watchdogs have turned to the courts in hopes of forcing more transparency.

November 2, 2015 - The nation's largest electric utility is going after a nonprofit energy watchdog for installing a solar system on the roof of a North Carolina church and selling it clean power in violation of state laws granting utilities monopoly status.

May 28, 2015 - North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has become a leading national advocate for expanded offshore drilling — a role that builds on almost three decades of his close personal, economic and political ties to the energy industry.