Doug Gibson's blog

Duke Power has discovered a "fifth fuel." And they want to pass one tenth of the savings on to you!

Submitted by Doug Gibson on Tue, 04/01/2008 - 10:40pm.

This happened about a year ago. But with Cliffside in the news, I think this deserves some attention. Last May, around the time that the Progress Energy plant was a hot topic in Asheville, Duke Energy floated a fascinating proposal to the NC Utilities Commission. In it, they suggested that they would promote energy efficiency as a "fifth fuel" by sponsoring education programs and providing subsidies for the purchase of more energy-efficient appliances and devices.

So far, so good. Where it gets weird is in the reward Duke sought for being virtuous: a new fee (starting at $15 per customer per year) that would compensate the utility for the electricity it didn't sell because of decreased demand. That fee was based not only on program costs or unsold wattage, but also on the cost of the power plants the utility would have had to build if customers didn't conserve.

Syndicate content

Since When is Campbell Brown My Hero?


Trying to get a straight answer out of McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.

BTW: I'm glad that Talking Points Memo posted this excerpt on Youtube, but since when does TiVo'ing something allow you to brand it with your logo? That's the Wild West...

The Dark Side Chronicles


Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory says he wants to change the culture in Raleigh. I guess that's why he wrote this letter to PAC lobbyists asking for their fundraising help. Change you can believe in? Riiiiiiight. Join the conversation here.