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North Carolina Utilities Commission public hearing to review Duke Energy’s plans for new gas plant in northern Person County

This Thursday, the North Carolina Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing to gather feedback on Duke Energy’s plans to build the first of two new methane gas power plants near its existing coal plant on Hyco Lake in Person County.

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New limits on power plant pollution aim to protect communities and the climate

Kingston Fossil Plant

Four rules finalized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency late last month will limit pollution from power plants — reducing climate-altering emissions, protecting the health of nearby communities and speeding the transition to renewable energy.

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New limits on power plant emissions and new community protections should prompt utilities to turn to reliable, affordable renewable energy

smoke and steam rise from a power plant

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a suite of new rules to limit a range of harmful pollutants from power plants, protecting the climate and human health, and pushing utilities toward cleaner, more reliable ways to meet energy demand, including investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

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Duke Energy’s proposal to convert the Roxboro coal plant to gas would be one of many dangerous new fossil fuel investments

Amid an alarming set of proposals for an extensive methane gas expansion across North Carolina, Duke Energy wants to convert its coal-fired power plant on Hyco Lake in Person County, known as the Roxboro Steam Station, to a combined-cycle methane gas power plant.

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Reliance on fossil fuels was last year’s Grinch that stole Christmas — and the real cause of Winter Storm Elliot blackouts

On Dec. 24, 2022, as Winter Storm Elliot bore down on North Carolina and Tennessee, problems at fossil-fuel power plants and high electricity demand led Duke Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority to shut off power for millions with rolling blackouts. But it didn’t have to be this way.

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What’s going on with Duke Energy?

Duke Energy is the largest electricity provider in North Carolina, and we believe Duke is not doing enough to help with increasing renewable energy in the state or keeping energy bills low for all customers.

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Building future resilience to extreme cold in the wake of North Carolina’s rolling blackouts

PSE Healthy Energy’s report shows that it’s not necessary for Duke Energy to wait for another emergency situation or just build more electricity generation because “targeted investments in weatherization, energy efficient appliances and demand response programs can keep demand lower and more stable in cold temperatures, and prevent another blackout.”

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North Carolina’s Carbon Plan: Planned gas expansion is unnecessary and harmful

The argument for methane gas relies heavily on outdated models that inflate the cost-effectiveness of the fuel. Replacing coal with renewable energy is now cheaper than replacing coal with continued fossil fuel use.

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North Carolina’s Carbon Plan: What the utilities commission got wrong

While many organizations, including Appalachian Voices, released initial statements when the Carbon Plan was finalized, there is a lot to unpack in the 137-page document. Specifically, its release is riding on the coattails of Duke Energy’s proposed rate increases and rolling blackouts due to the failures of fossil fuels.

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Turning Coal Ash into Art

Woman points to location on a map.

In Walnut Cove — a community whose history has been tainted by coal ash for decades — The Lilies Project has turned coal ash into art, and is expanding to encompass the town’s story beyond coal ash.

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