To: Chris Ayers, Exec. Dir. Public Staff, NC Utilities Commission
Stop the Giveaway to Duke Energy
Democracy North Carolina
We urge you to defend the public by opposing a big giveaway to Duke Energy and other utilities. The NC Utilities Commission recently ruled that utilities can continue to charge us for taxes they no longer have to pay. That is clearly unfair. The Public Staff was created to defend the public from excessive corporate greed. Please take action in court or in other ways to stop this unfair giveaway of our money.
Why is this important?
The Raleigh News & Observer reported on Oct. 10, “In the 4-3 decision, the [Utilities] Commission said that even though NC’s corporate income tax was cut by the state legislature from 6.9 percent to 5 percent, utilities can continue charging customers at 6.9 percent and pocket the difference.” The newspaper said all the Commission members appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory voted in favor of this giveaway of our money. McCrory is a former Duke Energy executive; he benefited from over $1 million of the company’s campaign spending, and his environmental agency tried to block efforts to force Duke to clean up its coal ash pollution.
The Utilities Commission’s decision is an example of favoritism to big political donors, rather than sound economics or fairness. The strong protest against Duke’s coal ash pollution of the Dan River forced some modest improvements. Now we need to push the agency responsible for protecting the public interest to oppose a bad decision that will cost us over $20 million a year. Mr. Chris Ayers of the Public Staff said they are “considering our options” to challenge the decision. Please sign the petition to urge the Public Staff to take strong action for the public.