Broad coalition to take action at the Utilities Commission

Submitted by roxane on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 11:29am

ACORN, Clean Water for North Carolina, NCPIRG, and NCWARN joined by AARP and others to announce and support an energy and money saving alternative.

What: As families struggle to pay escalating energy bills, they need real ways to save energy and save money. Utility-led proposals are leaving them with few options. Join us as we present an update on the Duke Energy Save-a-Watt hearing, point out who is getting left behind and why it matters, and announce a new action taken at the Utilities Commission.

When: Monday, August 18, 12:15 p.m.

Where: In front of the Archdale Building trellis, off 512 Salisbury Street, facing Halifax Mall and the General Assembly

Who:

  • Shana Becker, Staff Attorney, NCPIRG
  • John Runkle, Attorney, NC WARN
  • Hope Taylor, Clean Water for North Carolina
  • Melvin Whitley, ACORN

Why: Monday at 1 p.m, the Utilities Commission begins the second part of hearings on Duke Energy's Save-a-watt petition. Their decision will set a precedent for energy efficiency programs in North Carolina: how much we pay, how much energy we save, and who runs the programs. It will also shape our energy platform. A broad coalition announces action targeted to help families save energy, reduce global warming gases, and save money.

VISUALS: Signs, Supporters, Utilities Commission

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Glad to see this

Submitted by James Protzman on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 3:53pm.

Front-paged in the interest of getting something positive done for a change.
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The NC Family Policy Council doesn't speak for my family

roxane's picture

thanks!

Submitted by roxane on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 6:51pm.

- - - - -
NCGV

You're welcome.

Submitted by James Protzman on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 7:46pm.

Is there any intersection with our friends who are working to bring accountability to ElectiCities?

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The NC Family Policy Council doesn't speak for my family

ElectriCities and NC Utilities Commission

Submitted by alman on Fri, 08/15/2008 - 8:42pm.

Can Roxanne provide some more background? Some in our group want the cities to be regulated, because of this debacle of refinancing, superspending. Some are more interested in just seeing ElectriCities demolished with the power agency managing the assets and debt without the people from another power agency and ElectriCities overspending and intervening. On the issue of regulation, we are torn because if ElectriCities continues to spend they would spend three times as much if they got their digs in on regulation by claiming they could do it for the cities.

As our friends at the Wilson Daily Times said in their editorial, http://www.wilsontimes.com/Opinion/Editorials/Story/Rein-in-ElectriCitie...

ElectriCities has paid board members a monthly stipend, although these members are nearly all public officials who receive compensation from their city governments. It has paid for expensive lobbyists, paid extravagant salaries to employees, racked up high legal costs, given generous raises and spent lavishly on advertising. At the same time, ElectriCities has misjudged financial markets, resulting in higher rate increases, and has focused too little on reducing the debt of its member power agencies. The N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency, which includes Wilson, still owes about $2.6 billion on bonds it issued in the early 1980s.

And it has been suggested that the power agencies might want to buy into new electric generating plants, thereby burdening member cities and their electricity customers with even more debt while perpetuating a need for ElectriCities.

The two power agencies and the cities should put ElectriCities on a fiscal diet. They can do little about the price of coal or uranium, but the cities can control the lavish spending at ElectriCities and should tighten the clamps now.

We don't want to do anything to give these people a reason to perpetuate this travesty on the taxpayer and on eastern NC and we are worried regulation could do that.

Having said all of that, we may want to be included and can get people to attend, so we further impress on the dilemma we face.

Colin Powell Weeps at Obama Victory

"Look what we did. Look what we did."

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