north carolina

September 19, 2011 - The N.C. Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 20 about the proposed merger of Progress Energy and Duke Energy to form the nation's largest electric utility, which would operate under the Duke Energy name. The hearing represents the public's last chance to weigh in on the plan. If the merger is approved, the company would become the largest U.S. utility, worth over $35 billion and with more than 7 million customers in the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

March 21, 2011 - By Rebekah L. Cowell, special to Facing South

February 3, 2011 - An independent report identifies 28 coal ash dump sites from Massachusetts to Nevada where hexavalent chromium has been detected in the groundwater at levels exceeding federal or state standards. Hexavalent chromium is one toxic waste product created by coal-fired power plants known to contain potentially dangerous levels of heavy metals, combustion byproducts and radioactive elements.

January 14, 2011 - OCTOBER 2010 - PRESENT | Facing South's investigative series looks at North Carolina's most influential benefactor for Republicans and conservative groups -- and his growing national power.

November 16, 2010 - Art Pope responds to the Facing South/Institute investigation looking at his role in fueling the GOP's historic takeover of the North Carolina legislature in 2010.

March 30, 2010 - Economic woes put North Carolina counties in danger of undercount in 2010 Census Study ranks 100 N.C. counties by risk level of losing millions of dollars in federal funds due to job losses, housing crisis

October 7, 2009 - An in-depth review of monitoring data from coal ash ponds located next to 13 coal-burning power plants in North Carolina has revealed that all of them are contaminating groundwater with toxic metals and other pollutants -- in some cases at levels exceeding 380 times state groundwater standards.