Duke Energy

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Duke Energy Corporation is headquartered in Charlotte, NC and describes itself as "one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States."[1]

In 2011, Duke Energy reported $14,529 million in total revenues.[1]

Contents

Ties to Pete Peterson's "Fix the Debt"

The Campaign to Fix the Debt is the latest incarnation of a decades-long effort by former Nixon man turned Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson to slash earned benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare under the guise of fixing the nation's "debt problem."

This article is part of the Center for Media and Democracy's investigation of Pete Peterson's Campaign to "Fix the Debt." Please visit our main SourceWatch page on Fix the Debt.

About Fix the Debt
The Campaign to Fix the Debt is the latest incarnation of a decades-long effort by former Nixon man turned Wall Street billionaire Pete Peterson to slash earned benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare under the guise of fixing the nation's "debt problem." Through a special report and new interactive wiki resource, the Center for Media and Democracy -- in partnership with the Nation magazine -- exposes the funding, the leaders, the partner groups, and the phony state "chapters" of this astroturf supergroup. Learn more at PetersonPyramid.org and in the Nation magazine.

Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council

Duke Energy has been a corporate funder of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the state corporate co-chair of Indiana and South Carolina [2] and a member of ALEC's Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force[3]. Duke was a "Vice Chair"-level sponsor of the 2016 ALEC Annual Conference.[4]

See ALEC Corporations for more.

About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site.

Negative tax rate

Public Campaign Profit Taxes & Lobbying Corp. Chart.png

In December 2011, the organization Public Campaign published a report called "For Hire: Lobbyists or the 99%?" on corporations that have paid more on lobbying than on federal taxes. Duke ranked tenth (see chart), reporting nearly $5.5 billion in U.S. profits from 2008 to 2010, and collecting $216 million from the U.S Treasury (tax rate of -3.9%) while spending over $17 million on lobbying,[5] with its tax subsidies aided by the company's 27 overseas tax havens.[6]

Existing coal-fired power plants

Duke had 70 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 18,591 MW of capacity. Here is a list of Duke's coal power plants with capacity over 100 MW:[7][8]

Plant Name State County Year(s) Built Capacity 2007 CO2 Emissions 2006 SO2 Emissions
Gibson IN Gibson 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982 3340 MW 20,400,000 tons 155,057 tons
Belews Creek NC Stokes 1974, 1975 2160 MW 13,600,000 tons 95,290 tons
Marshall NC Catawba 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970 1996 MW 12,600,000 tons 85,050 tons
W.H. Zimmer OH Clermont 1991 1426 MW 8,597,000 tons 22,054 tons
Miami Fort OH Hamilton 1949, 1960, 1975, 1978 1378 MW 7,546,000 tons 62,028 tons
Beckjord OH Clermont 1952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1969 1221 MW 6,330,000 tons 62,480 tons
Wabash River IN Vigo 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1968, 1995 1165 MW 4,738,000 tons 58,793 tons
G.G. Allen NC Gaston 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961 1155 MW 5,864,000 tons 45,395 tons
Cayuga IN Vermillion 1970, 1972 1062 MW 6,914,000 tons 86,174 tons
Cliffside NC Cleveland 1940, 1948, 1972 781 MW 3,591,000 tons 28,878 tons
East Bend KY Boone 1981 669 MW 4,332,000 tons 3,947 tons
Gallagher IN Floyd 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 600 MW 3,383,000 tons 50,819 tons
Riverbend NC Gaston 1952, 1954 466 MW 1,676,000 tons 16,481 tons
Buck NC Rowan 1941, 1942, 1953 370 MW 1,626,000 tons 12,054 tons
W.S. Lee SC Anderson 1951, 1958 355 MW 1,151,000 tons 10,256 tons
Dan River NC Rockingham 1949, 1950, 1955 290 MW 827,000 tons 7,882 tons
Edwardsport IN Knox 1949, 1951 109 MW 680,000 tons 8,281 tons

Proposed coal unit closures

Edwardsport

Duke Energy closed the Edwardsport Generating Station (existing) in spring 2010, and will begin demolishing the structure by October 2011. Company spokesman Lew Middleton said Duke will turn the site of the old plant in a storage area for burned coal, or slag, produced by Duke's new coal-gasification plant - the Edwardsport Plant - planned for Fall 2012.[9]

Riverbend, Buck Steam, Lee Steam, Cliffside and Dan River

In September 2010, Duke Energy said it might close seven coal-fired units at its Carolinas power plants within five years as environmental regulations intensify. It may retire by 2015 all coal-fired units for which it's not economical to install sulfur dioxide controls called scrubbers. That would increase by 890 megawatts the coal plants Duke had planned to retire in 2009. The retired units would be at Duke's Riverbend Steam Station in Gaston County, Buck Steam Station in Rowan County, and Lee Steam Plant in Anderson County, S.C. Duke said it might convert Lee from coal to natural gas fuel.[10]

Duke has already agreed to retire 800 megawatts of older coal units as part of an N.C. permit to build a new 825-megawatt unit under construction at the Cliffside Plant in Rutherford County. That will shutter four old units at Cliffside, two at Buck, three at Dan River Steam Station, and two at Riverbend.[10]

Duke's projections show the amount of its electricity generated with coal falling from 42 percent in 2011 to 29 percent in 2030. The share from nuclear power, in contrast, stays steady at 51 percent. The utility continues to plan for a new nuclear plant, its first since the mid-1980s, to open in Gaffney, S.C., in about 2020. Duke is also building two gas-fired power plants, to open at Buck in late 2011 and at Dan River in late 2012.[10]

Gallagher station

Under a plan submitted to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on May 24, 2011, Duke Energy said it plans to shut down two coal-burning units at its Gallagher Generating Station and purchase a share of the Cayuga Generating Station in Indiana to make up the difference. The plan is being considered as a potential settlement option in a more than a decade-old lawsuit the company has with the EPA. Duke had been exploring the idea of converting two of the Gallagher burners to natural gas via running a gas pipeline from Kentucky. But the gas pipeline would cost $71 million, while Duke would pay $68 million for its share of the Vermillion Plant, owned by both Duke Ohio — an unregulated subsidiary of Duke Energy — and Wabash Valley Power Association. Duke Energy would own 62.5 percent of that plant and Wabash would own the remainder.

The lawsuit that initiated the filing relates to air quality: the EPA alleges Cinergy — which merged with Duke Energy in 2006 — undertook six power-plant upgrades that added new coal burners in Indiana and Ohio without obtaining new permits as required by New Source Review provisions. Both the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will have to approve either option before Duke moves ahead.[11]

Beckjord Generating Station

On July 15, 2011, Duke said it expects to retire all six coal-fired generation units at its Beckjord Generating Station in Ohio by Jan. 1, 2015, due to the proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rule, which will be finalised in November 2011, and will require coal-fired plants to reduce emissions of particular toxic air pollutants. The company said it plans to meet demand by buying electricity on the competitive wholesale market or by constructing or acquiring natural gas-fired combined-cycle generating assets.[12]

Wabash River Generating Station

On May 29, 2009, U.S. District Judge Larry J. McKinney ordered Duke Energy to shut down three units of the Wabash River Generating Station for violations of the federal Clean Air Act. In 2008, a jury found that Duke-owned Cinergy had modified the facilities without installing best-available pollution control technology. The units, which supply 39 percent of the station's power, were slated to be taken off line in 2012.[13] An appeals court overturned that order in 2010, allowing Duke Energy to restart the units.[14]

In Sep. 2011, Duke Energy said it is considering shutting down several of the six units at Wabash River Station, in expectation of impending coal regulations.[14]

Coal Projects Sponsored by Duke Energy

Emissions

Violation Tracker
Discover Which Corporations are the Biggest Violators of Environmental, Health and Safety Laws in the United States
Violation Tracker is the first national search engine on corporate misconduct covering environmental, health, and safety cases initiated by 13 federal regulatory agencies. Violation Tracker is produced by the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First. Click here to access Violation Tracker.

Carbon dioxide

Duke Energy accounted for 3.4% of all US electricity sector carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2011.[15]

Sulfur dioxide

Duke’s sulfur dioxide emissions, when considering plant fuel efficiency, were 30% above the national average in 2011.[16]

Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Duke Energy coal plants

In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[17] Fine particle pollution consists of a complex mixture of soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Among these particles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions. These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coal's external costs, i.e. uncompensated harms inflicted upon the public at large. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coal plant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[18]

Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Duke coal plants

Type of Impact Annual Incidence Valuation
Deaths 951 $6.94 billion
Heart attacks 1,447 $158.1 million
Asthma attacks 15,714 $817.1 million
Hospital admissions 696 $16.2 million
Chronic bronchitis 579 $257.2 million
Asthma ER visits 912 $0.33 million

Source: "Health Impacts - annual - of Existing Plants," Clean Air Task Force Excel worksheet, available under "Data Annex" at "Death and Disease from Power Plants," Clean Air Task Force. Note: This data includes the following plants owned by Duke Energy and subsidiaries Cincinnati Gas & Electric and PSI Energy: Beckjord, Miami Fort, East Bend, W.H. Zimmer, G.G. Allen; Buck, Cliffside, Dan River, Riverbend, W.S. Lee, Marshall, Belews Creek, Gibson, Wabash River, Cayuga, and Gallagher.

Coal waste

EPA releases list of 44 "high hazard" coal ash dumps

In response to demands from environmentalists as well as Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California), chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, the EPA made public a list of 44 "high hazard potential" coal waste dumps. The rating applies to sites at which a dam failure would most likely cause loss of human life, but does not include an assessment of the likelihood of such an event. Duke owns 10 of the sites, all of which are located in North Carolina.[19]

The following table is derived from EPA's official list of Coal Combustion Residue (CCR) Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings. To see the full list of sites, see Coal waste.[20]

Facility Name Unit Name Location
G.G. Allen Steam Plant Active Ash Pond Belmont, NC
Belews Creek Steam Station Active Ash Pond Walnut Cove, NC
Buck Steam Station New Primary Pond Spencer, NC
Buck Steam Station Secondary Pond Spencer, NC
Buck Steam Station Primary Pond Spencer, NC
Dan River Steam Station Secondary Pond Eden, NC
Dan River Steam Station Primary Pond Eden, NC
Marshall Steam Station Active Ash Pond Terrell, NC
Riverbend Steam Station Secondary Pond Mount Holly, NC
Riverbend Steam Station Primary Pond Mount Holly, NC

Dan River Spill

For more information, go to Duke Energy Dan River Steam Station Ash Spill February 2014

This is what coal ash looks like: Dan River spill

On Feb 3, 2014, Duke Energy said 50,000 to 82,000 tons of coal ash and up to 27 million gallons of water were released from a pond at its retired Dan River Steam Station into the Dan River, and were still flowing. A 48-inch stormwater pipe beneath Duke's unlined ash pond broke, and water and ash from the 27-acre pond drained into the pipe.[21]

According to EcoWatch, the coal ash spill appears to be the third-largest in U.S. history. It was discovered after a security guard noted the coal ash pond was running lower than usual, meaning much of it had already drained into the Dan River. Residents of Danville, VA withdraw drinking water just six miles downstream of the spill site.[22]

Study shows Duke's N.C. coal ash ponds are contaminating groundwater

In October 2009, Appalachian Voices released an analysis of monitoring data from coal waste ponds at 13 coal plants in North Carolina. The study revealed that all of them are contaminating ground water with toxic pollutants, in some cases with over 350 times the allowable levels according to state standards. The contaminants include the toxic metals arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead, which can cause cancer and neurological disorders. The study was based on data submitted by Duke and Progress Energy to state regulators. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources is attempting to confirm the results before determining whether current state law can mandate corrective action.[23]

"High Hazard" Surface Impoundments at Duke Dan River waste sites

Two of Duke's Dan River Steam Station's coal ash surface impoundments - Dan River Steam Station Primary Pond and Dan River Steam Station Secondary Pond - are on the EPA's official June 2009 list of Coal Combustion Residue (CCR) Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings. The rating applies to sites at which a dam failure would most likely cause loss of human life, but does not assess of the likelihood of such an event.[24]

Coal Ash Waste and Water Contamination at Dan River

In August 2010 a study released by the Environmental Integrity Project, the Sierra Club and Earthjustice reported that North Carolina, along with 34 states, had significant groundwater contamination from coal ash that is not currently regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report, in an attempt to pressure the EPA to regulate coal ash, noted that most states do not monitor drinking water contamination levels near waste disposal sites.[25] The report mentioned Duke's Dan River Steam Station as having groundwater contamination due to coal ash waste.[26]

Study finds dangerous level of hexavalent chromium at Dan River coal waste site

A report released by EarthJustice and the Sierra Club in early February 2011 stated that there are many health threats associated with a toxic cancer-causing chemical found in coal ash waste called hexavalent chromium. The report specifically cited 29 sites in 17 states where the contamination was found. The information was gathered from existing EPA data on coal ash and included locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virgina and Wisconsin. In North Carolina, the Dan River Steam Station in Eden, the Asheville Plant in Asheville and the Cape Fear Steam Plant in Montcure all were reported as having high levels of chromium seeping into groundwater.[27]

According to the report, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) was reported at the Dan River unlined landfill and pond coal waste site above 61 ppb (parts per billion) - 3,050 times the proposed California drinking water goals and 22% above the North Carolina drinking water standard.[27]

As a press release about the report read:

Hexavalent chromium first made headlines after Erin Brockovich sued Pacific Gas & Electric because of poisoned drinking water from hexavalent chromium. Now new information indicates that the chemical has readily leaked from coal ash sites across the U.S. This is likely the tip of the iceberg because most coal ash dump sites are not adequately monitored.[28]

According to the report, the electric power industry is the leading source of chromium and chromium compounds released into the environment, representing 24 percent of releases by all industries in 2009.[27]

Groups report coal waste leaks at Allen and Riverbend

In November 2012 the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation informed state and federal environmental regulators they discovered four seepage points from coal ash ponds, one from Duke's Allen Steam Station into Lake Wylie and three into Mountain Island Lake from Duke's Riverbend Steam Station. Lake Wylie provides drinking water for York County and Belmont, while Mountain Island Lake provides drinking water for Mecklenburg County.[29]

Duke's nuclear stations

Duke Energy operates seven nuclear power stations. Three of these are at the Oconee Nuclear Station in Oconee County, South Carolina and two each at Catawba Nuclear Station in York County, South Carolina and McGuire Nuclear Station in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. [30]

The company is a member of the NuStart Consortium, which aims to obtain one of the new ‘streamlined’ combined Construction and Operating License (COL) for two selected reactor technologies.

Duke Energy is also a member of the Nuclear Energy Institute and the World Nuclear Association.

MOX Enthusiasts

In March 1999, a consortium of companies led by Duke Engineering & Services (a former business unit of Duke Energy), COGEMA and Stone & Webster (DCS) entered into a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to fabricate mixed oxide (MOX) fuel using plutonium from surplus weapons and then to use that fuel in commercial nuclear power plants. The consortium will design, construct and operate a MOX fuel fabrication facility at the DOE Savannah River Site. Duke Energy will use the fuel at McGuire and Catawba nuclear stations beginning around 2011 or later. [31]

Duke Engineering & Services was sold to Framatome ANP, in January 2002. [32] However, Duke Energy continued with the plan to use MoX in its reactors. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted permission for the use of MOX fuel at Catawba Nuclear Station, after a two-year review process, in March 2005. [33]

In September 2004, 140 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium oxide (powder) were shipped via Charleston, South Carolina, to France for fabrication into MOX, where it was met by a storm of protest. The plutonium arrived back, as MOX, at Charleston on April 12, 2005, after an 4000 mile round trip. The French state company Areva fabricated the plutonium into MOX. Greenpeace said the shipment flies in the face of global efforts to curb the nuclear threat. The testing was a prelude to the start up of a large-scale plutonium fuel program in the United States.

New Reactors

Duke Power has selected a site in Cherokee County, (South Carolina) – jointly owned with the Southern Company - for a potential new nuclear power plant. The Company will develop an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a combined construction and operating license (COL) for two Westinghouse AP1000 (advanced passive) reactors.[34] The COL application submittal to the NRC is anticipated in the late 2007 or early 2008 time frame. Submitting the COL application does not commit either company to build new nuclear units. The companies will decide whether to proceed with plant construction at a later date. The US Public Interest Group, Public Citizen, said “Duke is angling to receive billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies to defray the costs of applying for a license as well as operating the plants; it should not be given a government handout for the application … Nor should the government issue a license. Not only does nuclear power pose a threat to public health and safety, but Duke Energy has a track record that indicates it has been dishonest with consumers”. [35]

In addition to selecting the Cherokee County location for a COL application, Duke Power is considering the preparation of early site permit (ESP) applications for locations in Oconee County, S.C., and Davie County, N.C. Early site permits enable companies to complete environmental and site suitability reviews, and obtain approval from the NRC for potential nuclear plant sites in advance of requesting a license to build and operate a plant. [36]

Duke Energy remains committed to nuclear power, despite the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, CEO Jim Rogers told company shareholders [37] and University of Richmond students [38] in late April and early May, 2011.

Subsidiaries

Duke Energy International

Duke Energy International (DEI) is a subsidiary of Duke Energy and owns or has substantial interests in approximately 4,500 MW of electric generation in Argentina, Brazil, Belize, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Peru. About 70 percent of DEI's generating capacity is hydroelectric.[39][40]

In late June, 2011, DEI was reported to be in negotiations with GDF Suez, a French-Swiss utility company, with a possible sale or merger of Latin American assets valued at $18.8 billion.[41] Duke CEO Jim Rogers put rumors to rest in July, saying the sale of the company's Latin American assets did not make much sense. [42]

Duke Energy Hydrocarbons

Vulcan Capital Management originated, structured, and closed a transaction with Duke Energy Hydrocarbons, LLC in 2003 as a purchase of Duke Energy Inc.’s offshore businesses. Duke Energy Hydrocarbons is an offshore exploration and production company with operations located in the Gulf of Mexico.[43]

Coal lobbying

Duke Energy lobbyists include the firm Dutko Worldwide. [44] Other consultants and lobbying firms working for Duke Energy include Alpine Group, BG-4, Dow Lohnes, Hunton & Williams, Mary Kenkel, Lighthouse Consulting Group, LTD Group, Daryl Owen Associates, Valis & Keelen, and Van Ness Feldman, according to the Lobbyists.info online database. [45]

Duke Energy spent $5,090,598 on in-house lobbying costs in 2008 and a further $1,282,770 to date in 2009.[46] The registered lobbyists were Beverly K. Marshall, John Haysbert, Toby Short and Brian Vanderbloemen.

Duke Energy also spent $240,000 on Dutko Worldwide, LLC in 2008 and a further $50,000 to date in 2009.[46] The registered lobbyists for the first two quarters of 2008 were Tracy Hammond, Andrew Wright and Liz Burdock. The registered lobbyists for the latter half of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009 were Hammond and Wright.

Duke Energy also spent $134,000 on Alliance One in 2008.[46] The registered lobbyist was Mary Kenkel.

Duke Energy also spent $240,000 on the Alpine Group in 2008 and a further $60,000 to date in 2009.[46] The registered lobbyists were James Massie, Rhod Shaw and Jason Schendle.

Duke Energy also spent $25,000 on Walker Nolan in 2008 and a further $15,000 to date in 2009.[46] The registered lobbyist was Walker Nolan.

Duke Energy also spent $110,000 on The Accord Group in 2008 and a further $30,000 to date in 2009. [46] The registered lobbyist was Patrick Quinn.

Duke Energy also spent $118,000 on Bracewell & Giuliani in 2008 and a further $50,000 to date in 2009.[46] The registered lobbyists were Scott H. Segal, E. Dee Martin, Edward Krenik, Jeffrey Holmstead and Joshua Zive.

Duke Energy also spent $90,000 on the LTD Group in 2008 and a further $30,000 to date in 2009. [46] The registered lobbyist was Michael Haywood.

Duke Energy also spent $100,000 on Daryl Owen Associates in 2008. [46] The registered lobbyist was Daryl Owen.

  • Total Lobbying expenditures for 2008: $6,147,598
  • Total Lobbying expenditures to date for 2009: $1,517,770

Duke Energy is a member of the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), an umbrella lobbying group for all coal ash interests that includes major coal burners Southern Company and American Electric Power as well as dozens of other companies. The group argues that the so-called "beneficial-use industry" would be eliminated if a "hazardous" designation was given for coal ash waste.[47]

ACAA set up a front group called Citizens for Recycling First, which argues that using toxic coal ash as fill in other products is safe, despite evidence to the contrary.[47]

Line of credit for 2012 Democratic convention

In March 2011 Politico reported reported that Duke Energy had agreed to provide a $10 million line of credit to the Democratic Party's 2012 convention in Charlotte. Duke Energy is headquartered in Charlotte. "Duke Energy was actively involved in recruiting the Democratic National Convention to Charlotte," company spokesman Tom Williams told POLITICO. "As a part of the application process, the DNC required there be a letter of credit, a line of credit, ultimately available if the host city was selected. … And our corporation stepped up."[48] The Center for Public Integrity reported that some environmentalists "see the move as an attempt by Duke to curry favor with the party controlling the White House. After all, there’s a long list of pending federal environmental rules that would have a direct impact on the utility industry — regulating against greenhouse gas emissions, for instance, and classifying coal ash as a hazardous waste."[49]

Reports

Renewables

According to the 2012 Greenpeace report, "Charting the Correction Course: A Clean Energy Pathway for Duke Energy," Duke Energy customers in the Carolinas could save $108 billion, or 57% of their total bills, over the next 20 years by choosing solar and wind energy. The savings are achieved by using energy efficiency to its fullest degree and sourcing 33% of Duke Energy’s power from renewable energy by 2020, while phasing out coal by 2020 and nuclear energy by 2026.[50]

Duke's nuclear plants not replacing coal

A 2011 report by NC Warn, "New Nuclear Power is Ruining Climate Protection Efforts and Harming Customers", argues that companies like Duke have promoted the utilities’ commitment to lead the way to a “low carbon” future by building more nuclear power plants, but instead of replacing their coal-burning plants with nuclear power, the companies "plan to keep operating most or all of their coal plants indefinitely, while adding more nuclear (and fossil fuel) plants so they can expand electricity sales both within and outside the region. This business model is based largely on the delusion that the U.S. economy will someday return to the unsustainable growth that created the combined economic-ecological predicament we now face."

The report states that "Duke Energy Carolinas plans to add 7,723 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity by 2030, a net addition of 36.5%, while continuing to use its large coal-fired units. Over 2,200 MW would come from two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear units at Duke’s proposed Lee Nuclear Station. Because Duke’s sales have been relatively flat since long before the recession, CEO Jim Rogers continues to pursue an aggressive program to expand sales inside Duke’s service area" to "force current customers to subsidize new [nuclear plants]; Duke is appealing the N.C. Utilities Commission’s denial of that expansion plan."[51]

Personnel

Board of Directors

Senior Executive Management

As of February, 2013: [53]

  • James E. Rogers: President and Chief Executive Officer.
  • Lynn J. Good: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  • Dhiaa M. Jamil: Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer
  • Julie S. Janson: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary
  • Marc E. Manly: Executive Vice President and President, Commercial Businesses
  • Lee T. Mazzocchi: Senior Vice President and Chief Integration and Innovation Officer
  • B. Keith Trent: Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Regulated Utilities
  • Jennifer L. Weber: Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Lloyd M. Yates: Executive Vice President, Regulated Utilities


Board Of Directors

As of February, 2013: [54]

Resources and articles

Featured SourceWatch Articles on Fix the Debt

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Duke Energy, "2011 Annual Report and Form 10-K", organizational document, accessed February 19, 2013
  2. ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council, "Solutions for the States," 38th Annual Meeting agenda, on file with CMD, August 3-6, 2011
  3. ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council, Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force Meeting 2010 States and Nation Policy Summit December 2, 2010 Meeting Minutes, organizational document, March 31, 2011, p. 43, obtained and released by Common Cause April 2012
  4. ↑ Nick Surgey, "ExxonMobil Top Sponsor at ALEC Annual Meeting," Exposed by CMD, Center for Media and Democracy, July 27, 2016.
  5. ↑ Public Campaign, For Hire: Lobbyists or the 99%? How Corporations Pay More for Lobbyists Than in Taxes, organizational report, December 2011
  6. ↑ Public Interest Research Group and Citizens for Tax Justice, "Representation Without Taxation: Fortune 500 Companies that Spend Big on Lobbying and Avoid Taxes," Public Interest Research Group and Citizens for Tax Justice, January 2012 Report
  7. ↑ Environmental Integrity Project, Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants, July 2007.
  8. ↑ Dig Deeper, Carbon Monitoring for Action database, accessed June 2008.
  9. ↑ "Duke to begin razing Indiana's oldest coal plant" AP, Sep. 26, 2011.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Bruce Henderson, "Duke considers closing old coal plants" Charlotte Observer, Sep. 2, 2010.
  11. ↑ Daniel Suddeath, "Duke plans to shut 2 coal-burning units, buy share in 3rd" Clarion, May 30, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Duke Energy expects Ohio coal plant retirement" reuters, July 15, 2011.
  13. ↑ Andrew M. Harris, "Duke Energy Ordered to Shut Indiana Coal-Fired Units," Bloomberg, May 29, 2009.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Duke expects closing much of W. Ind. power plant" Chron.com, Sep. 16, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Charting the Correction Course: A Clean Energy Pathway for Duke Energy," Greenpeace, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Charting the Correction Course: A Clean Energy Pathway for Duke Energy," Greenpeace, 2012.
  17. ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
  18. ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
  19. ↑ Shaila Dewan, "E.P.A. Lists ‘High Hazard’ Coal Ash Dumps," New York Times, June 30, 2009.
  20. ↑ Fact Sheet: Coal Combustion Residues (CCR) - Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings, Environmental Protection Agency, June 2009.
  21. ↑ "Duke Energy plant reports coal-ash spill," www.charlotteobserver.com, Feb 3, 2014.
  22. ↑ Donna Lisenby, "Breaking: Duke Energy Coal Ash Spill Pollutes River and Threatens Drinking Water," EcoWatch, February 4, 2014.
  23. ↑ Sue Sturgis, "All North Carolina coal ash ponds are leaking toxic pollution to groundwater," Institute for Southern Studies, October 7, 2009.
  24. ↑ Coal waste
  25. ↑ "Study of coal ash sites finds extensive water contamination" Renee Schoff, Miami Herald, August 26, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Enviro groups: ND, SD coal ash polluting water" Associated Press, August 24, 2010.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 "EPA’s Blind Spot: Hexavalent Chromium in Coal Ash" Earthjustice & Sierra Club, February 1, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Coal ash waste tied to cancer-causing chemicals in water supplies" Alicia Bayer, Examiner.com, February 1, 2011.
  29. ↑ John Marks, "Group reports coal ash leaking into Lake Wylie," Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, Nov. 20, 2012.
  30. ↑ Duke Energy, website, accessed December 2006.
  31. ↑ Duke Power, Mixed Oxide Fuel Program undated.
  32. ↑ Duke Energy Duke Energy Announces Sale of Duke Enginering & Services Unit to Further Align Focus on Wholesale Energy Markets. Press Release, January 31, 2002.
  33. ↑ Duke Power Duke Power Granted Licence Amendment by Nuclear Regulatory Commission to use MOX Fuel Press Release, March 3, 2005.
  34. ↑ Duke Power, Duke Power selects Cherokee County site for Nuclear Application, Press Release, March 16, 2006.
  35. ↑ Public Citizen, Duke Energy Should Be Denied Taxpayer Subsidies to Build New Nuclear Reactors; Better Alternatives Exist, Press Release March 17, 2006.
  36. ↑ Public Citizen website, accessed December 2006 page on Cherokee County South Carolina.
  37. ↑ PR Newswire "Duke Energy Remains Committed to Nuclear Power, CEO Rogers Tells Shareholderscompany shareholders" May 5, 2011
  38. ↑ Peter Bacque, "Duke Energy CEO says U.S. needs to develop new energy technologies" Richmond Times Dispatch, April 19, 2011.
  39. ↑ "Duke Energy International" Duke Energy web site, accessed July 19, 2011.
  40. ↑ "Duke Energy International, LLC" Bloomberg Business Week, accessed July 19, 2011.
  41. ↑ Paulo Winterstein "GDF, Duke in talks to merge LatAm electric assets" Market Watch, June 28, 2011.
  42. ↑ "Rogers Sticking with Latam as Duke's Stock Powers Higher" Nasdaq, July 7, 2011.
  43. ↑ "Select Portfolio Firms" Vulcan Capital Website, August 2009.
  44. ↑ Carrie Levine, "Fuel Fight," The blog of Legal Times, December 7, 2007.
  45. ↑ "Duke Energy," Lobbyists.info (sub req'd), accessed December 2007.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 46.4 46.5 46.6 46.7 46.8 "Duke Energy", Center for Public Integrity, accessed July 2009.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Coal-Fired Utilities to American Public: Kiss my Ash DeSmogBlog.com & PolluterWatch, October 27, 2010.
  48. ↑ Jennifer Epstein, "Republicans cry foul over Democratic National Convention credit line", Politico, March 14, 2011.
  49. ↑ Kristen Lombardi, "Stimulus recipient, polluter gives Dems $10 million credit line", Center for Public Integrity, March 17, 2011.
  50. ↑ "Charting the Correction Course: A Clean Energy Pathway for Duke Energy," Greenpeace, 2012.
  51. ↑ Jim Warren, "New Nuclear Power is Ruining Climate Protection Efforts and Harming Customers" NC Warn, 2011 Report.
  52. ↑ Board, Duke Energy, accessed May 2, 2020.
  53. ↑ Duke Energy, "Our Leaders", organizational website, accessed February 15, 2013
  54. ↑ Duke Energy, "Board of Directors", organizational website, accessed February 15, 2013
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