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===Nuclear power stations===
* [[Brunswick Nuclear Plant]], a two-nuclear reactor unit rated at 1,875-MW is located near Southport, North Carolina.
* [[Crystal River Nuclear Plant]], a single nuclear reactor unit rated at 838-MW is located near Crystal River, Florida, on a site that also includes four coal-fired generating units that generate 2,313 MW.
* [[Harris Nuclear Plant]], is a single nuclear reactor unit rated at 900-MW is located near New Hill, North Carolina.
* [[Robinson Nuclear Plant]] is a single nuclear reactor unit rated at 710-MW and is located near Hartsville, South Carolina. The site also includes a coal-fired unit that generates 180 MW and a combustion turbine unit that generates 15 MW.
In August 2009, [[Robinson Steam Plant]] and the Florida Cabinet approved Progress Energy's proposal for a new nuclear plant in Levy County, north of Inglis. It would be "the first such plant approved in Florida in 33 years," reported the ''Miami Herald''. "Progress seeks to raise its base rates by 30 percent to pay for the nuclear plant[[Cape Fear Steam Plant]] ceased operation on October 1, which would not be up and running until at least 20182012." <ref>Shannon Colavecchio, "[http://wwwfossilfuel.miamiheraldenergy-business-review.com/459news/story/1181125.html Florida Cabinet OK's first new nuclear plant in 33 yearsduke-energy-subsidiary-retires-two-coal-fired-power-plants-021012 "Duke Energy subsidiary retires two coal-fired power plants"]Fossil Fuel," ''Miami Herald'' (Florida), August 11October 2, 20092012.</ref>
Text replacement - "{{#badges:" to "{{Show badges|"
{{#Show badges: Climate change | Nuclear spinAEX|CoalSwarm}}
{{Infobox Company
| company_name = Progress Energy
| footnotes =
}}
'''Progress Energy''' is a was an energy company headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. which has more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity from 36 sites in the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia and $9 billion in annual revenues. The company owns owned "two major utilities that serve more than 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida".<ref>[http://www.progress-energy.com/aboutus/index.asp "About Us"], Progress Energy website, accessed May 2008.</ref>
On July 3, 2012, [[Duke Energy]] acquired [[Progress Energy]]. The merged company retained the Duke Energy name.<ref>{{cite news|title=Duke Energy, Progress Energy to merge in $26B deal|url=http://www.wral.com/business/story/8907376/|work=[[WRAL-TV]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Duke Energy and Progress Energy Have Merged|url=http://www.duke-energy.com/corporate-merger/|work=Duke Energy}}</ref> __TOC__ == Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council==Progress Energy has been a corporate member of the American Legislative Exchange Council.<ref name="Corporate Chairs">American Legislative Exchange Council, "Solutions for the States," 38th Annual Meeting agenda, on file with CMD, August 3-6, 2011</ref> ALEC listed the company as part of its [[Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force]] until it allegedly terminated its membership on January 14, 2013 because its "merged with Duke; new contacts" (Duke remained an ALEC member), according to an August 2013 board document obtained by ''The Guardian''.<ref name="ALECboard">American Legislative Exchange Council, [https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/841593/alec-docs.pdf ALEC 40th Anniversary Annual Meeting Board Meeting packet], organizational documents, August 6, 2013, released by ''The Guardian'' December 3, 2013.</ref> A list of [[ALEC Corporations|ALEC Corporations can be found here]]. A list of [[Corporations that Have Cut Ties to ALEC|Corporations that Have Cut Ties to ALEC can he found here]]. {{about_ALEC}} ==Merger with Duke Energy==On January 9, 2011, [[Duke Energy]] said it agreed to buy [[Progress Energy]] for $13.7 billion in stock,creating the largest U.S. power company if it wins approval from regulators in North and South Carolina. The transaction would create an industry giant with approximately 7.1 million electricity customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, and 57,000 megawatts of generating capacity. State regulators have sought concessions from large power companies planning to merge, such as rate reductions.<ref>Matt Daily, [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE7092NK20110110?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews "Duke Energy to buy Progress Energy for $13.7 billion"] Reuters, Jan. 10, 2011.</ref>creating one of The combined companies would form the single largest electric power companies utility in the United States.<ref>[http://oilandglory.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/10/coals_dim_future "Coal's Dim Future"] Steve LeVine, Foreign Policy, January 10, 2011.</ref> In hearings before the NC Utilities Commission in September, 2011, a variety of organizations objected to the merger.<ref>[http://ncuc.commerce.state.nc.us/cgi-bin/fldrdocs.ndm/INPUT?compdesc=PROGRESS%20ENERGY%20CAROLINAS%2C%20INC.%3B%20CAROLINA%20POWER%20%26%20LIGHT%20COMPANY%2C%20DBA&numret=001&comptype=E&docknumb=2&suffix1=&subNumb=998&suffix2=&parm1=000135225 Docket Search, NCUC] North Carolina Utilities Commission.</ref> The merger would mean "increased emissions from coal-fired generation" with approximately 4 an increase of 9.5 million customers MWH of coal-fired generation over the first five years after the merger ... and 35would also result in the creation of a dominant procurer of renewable energy that would limit the pool of renewable energy developers. <ref>Testimony of Richard H. Hahn,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity Docket No. E-2, Sub 998 / E-7, Sub 986, Sept. 8, 2011.</ref> Critics suggested requiring Duke / Progress to generate more renewable energy, to provide more protection for the poor against future rate increases, to commit to investments in the Carolinas energy conservation and smart-grid technologies, to allow solar-panel owners to sell electricity directly to consumers rather than only to utilities, and to unlink electric company profits from the Midwestamount of power sold.<ref>Emery P. Dalesio, [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-nc-duke-progressmerg,0,5841016.story "NC opens hearings on Progress-Duke Energy merger,"] Associated Press, Sept. 20, 2011.</ref> '''FERC and anti-trust concerns:''' On Sept. 30, 2011, the [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission found that the merger would adversely impact competition in the North Carolina energymarket. The company will have until Dec. 1, 2011, to address concerns. <ref> John Murawski, [http://www.newsobserver.com/about2011/10/03/1536325/utilities-to-revamp-usmerger.html "Duke, Progress execs say they will address federal concerns over merger,"] Raleigh News & Observer, Oct. 3, 2011. </ref> FERC said the concerns with competitiveness were especially serious in Eastern North Carolina. <ref>[http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/defaultFile_list.asp ?document_id=13959740 "Order on Disposition of Jurisdictional Facilities and Merger,"] FERC Docket No. EC11-60-000, Sept. 30, 2011.</ref> The merger went into effect on July 2, 2012. Progress CEO [[Bill Johnson]] assumed the CEO position at the combined company, signing a three-year contract. One day later, on July 3, Johnson resigned. Regardless, Johnson will receive exit payments worth as much as $44.4 million, according to Duke regulatory filings. Johnson’s replacement is former DukeCEO [[Jim Rogers]].<ref>Philip Bump, [http: About Us//grist.org/news/duke-ceo-bill-johnson-resigns-after-one-day-gets-44-million-in-severance/ "] Duke EnergyCEO Bill Johnson resigns after one day, gets $44 million in severance,"] Grist, accessed July 20116, 2012.</ref>
==Lobbying and Congressional campaign contributions==
More information on coal industry contributions to Congress can be found at [http://www.followthecoalmoney.org FollowtheCoalMoney.org], created by the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization [http://www.priceofoil.org Oil Change International].
==CEO compensationNegative tax rate==In May 2007A 2011 analysis by Citizens for Tax Justice and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, ''Forbes'' listed former Progress CEO Robert McGehee as receiving $4[http://www.ctj.org/corporatetaxdodgers/CorporateTaxDodgersReport.pdf "Corporate Taxpayers & Corporate Tax Dodgers: 2008-10"] found dozens of companies, including fossil fuels, used tax breaks and various tax dodging methods to have a negative tax balance between 2008 and 2010, while making billions in profits.38 million The study found 32 companies in total compensation for the previous fiscal yearfossil-fuel industry -- such as [[Peabody Energy]], [[ConEd]], with and [[PG&E]] -- transformed a four-year total compensation tax responsibility of $1317.3 billion on $49.1 million4 billion in pretax profits into a tax benefit of $6. He ranked 23rd on the list 5 billion, for a net gain of CEOs in $24 billion. The companies that paid no tax for at least one year between 2008 and 2010 are the Utilities industryutilities [[Ameren]], [[American Electric Power]], [[CenterPoint Energy]], [[CMS Energy]], [[Consolidated Edison]], [[DTE Energy]], [[Duke Energy]], [[Entergy]], [[FirstEnergy]], [[Integrys]], [[NextEra Energy]], [[NiSource]], [[Pepco]], [[PG&E]], [[PPL]], Progress Energy, [[Sempra Energy]], [[Wisconsin Energy]] and 317th among all CEOs in the United States[[Xcel Energy]].<ref>Robert S. McIntyre, Matthew Gardner, Rebecca J. Wilkins, Richard Phillips, [http://www.forbesctj.com/listsorg/2007corporatetaxdodgers/12/lead_07ceos_Robert-B-McGehee_2ID3CorporateTaxDodgersReport.html CEO Compensationpdf "Corporate Taxpayers & Corporate Tax Dodgers: #317 Robert B McGehee,2008-10"] Forbes.com, May 3Citizens for Tax Justice and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, 2007November 2011 Report.</ref>
==EPA releases list of 44 "high hazard" coal ash dumps==
{{#ev:youtube|lO1AbM31E_A|400|right|WLOS: Coal Ash Dust near Progress Energy's Asheville coal plant|frame}}
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. Progress Energy owns two of the sites, both of which store coal combustion waste for the [[Asheville Plant]] located in North Carolina.<ref>Shaila Dewan, [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/science/earth/01ash.html?ref=us "E.P.A. Lists ‘High Hazard’ Coal Ash Dumps,"] ''New York Times,'' June 30, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/ccrs-fs/index.htm Fact Sheet: Coal Combustion Residues (CCR) - Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings,] Environmental Protection Agency, June 2009.</ref> To see the full list of sites, see [[Coal waste]].
* Lee is scheduled for retirement in 2013.
* Sutton is slated for closure in 2014. Progress hopes to replace it with a natural gas-fired power plant.
* Cape Fear and Weatherspoon will be shut down between 2013 and 2017. The company is considering converting 50 to 150MW of the total capacity to burn wood waste. Witherspoon was scheduled to be closed Oct. 22, 2011. <ref>[http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/15594347/progress-energy-to-close-nc-coal-fired-plant "Progress Energy to close NC coal-fired plant"] Associated Press, Oct. 17, 2011.</ref>
The closure plan was filed in response to a request by the N.C. Utilities Commission, which ordered Progress to provide its retirement schedule for "unscrubbed" coal-fired units in North Carolina. The request was a condition of the commission's approval of Progress' plan to close Lee and build a 950-MW natural gas plant at the site.<ref>[http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/North_Carolina/2009/12/01/CL18913 "Progress Energy Carolinas Plans to Retire Remaining Unscrubbed Coal Plants in N.C.,"] PRNewswire, December 1, 2009.</ref><ref>Tina Casey, [http://www.reuters.com/article/mnEnergy/idUS414152905220091202 "Progress Energy Joins Stampede Away from Coal,"] Reuters, December 2, 2009.</ref>
===[[Robinson Steam Plant]]===
After the merger of [[Duke Energy]] and [[Progress Energy]], Progress Energy Carolinas announced in July 2012 that it would be accelerating the closing of the Robinson Unit 1 coal plant by October 2012, but it would remain online through the summer season to help meet heightened electricity demand.<ref>[http://www.southcarolinaradionetwork.com/2012/07/27/progress-energy-carolinas-accelerates-shutdown-of-robinson-coal-fired-plant/ "Progress Energy Carolinas accelerates shutdown of Robinson coal-fired plant,"] SCRN, July 27, 2012.</ref>
==Coal lobbying==
On December 1, 2009, Progress Energy announced that by 2017 it will be shutting down all of its coal-fired power plants that do not have flue-gas desulfurization controls (scrubbers). In all, four plants will be affected with a total of 11 coal-fired units. The plants that will be shut down are the [[Sutton Steam Plant]] near Wilmington, the [[Cape Fear Steam Plant]] near Monroe, the [[Weatherspoon Plant]] near Lumberton and the [[Lee Steam Plant]] near Goldsboro.<ref>"[http://progress-energy.com/aboutus/news/article.asp?id=22982 Progress Energy Carolinas plans to retire remaining unscrubbed coal plants in N.C.]," Progress Energy, accessed December 1, 2009.</ref>
===Coal and oil plants===
* Anclote Plant, a 1,006-MW ocated located near Holiday, Florida;
* Asheville Plant, a two-unit 376 megawatt power station located at Skyland, North Caorlina.
* Bartow Plant, a three unit 444 megawatt power station located near St. Petersburg, Florida;
* the Sutton Plant is a three-unit 598 megawatt power station located near Wilmington, N.C., on a site that also includes three small combustion turbines.
* Suwannee Plant is a three-unit 129 megawatt power station located near Ellaville, Florida. The site also includes three combustion turbines capable of producing 153 MW;
* the Weatherspoon Plant is a three-unit, 173 megawatt power station located near Lumberton, North Carolina and also includes four combustion turbines capable of producing 132 megawatts.It was scheduled to be closed Oct. 22, 2011. <ref>[http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/15594347/progress-energy-to-close-nc-coal-fired-plant "Progress Energy to close NC coal-fired plant"] Associated Press, Oct. 17, 2011.</ref>
===Proposed new plants===
==Coal waste==
===Lawsuit over 14 coal ash pits===
On January 8, 2013, conservation groups Cape Fear River Watch, Sierra Club, Waterkeeper Alliance, and Western North Carolina Alliance filed a lawsuit against the state Environmental Management Commission, Duke Energy, and Progress Energy seeking the cleanup or shut-down of 14 [[coal ash]] pits. The suit challenges a ruling in December 2012 by the Environmental Management Commission, which voted 9-2 that Duke and Progress ash pits were subject to less stringent regulations and were therefore not out of compliance with groundwater contamination standards. The groups argue that monitoring by Progress Energy shows persistent groundwater contamination, including arsenic levels above state standards, at the company’s [[Asheville Plant]] and [[Sutton Steam Plant]]. Sampling at 12 other coal-fired plants, the litigants contend, also show contamination.<ref>Anne Blythe, [http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/01/08/2591573/environmental-groups-seek-clean.html#storylink=cpy "Environmental groups seek clean up of 14 coal ash pits,"] News Observer, Jan. 8, 2013.</ref>
===Asheville ranked 69th on list of most polluting power plants in terms of coal waste===
In January 2009, Sue Sturgis of the Institute of Southern Studies compiled a list of the 100 most polluting coal plants in the United States in terms of [[Coal waste|coal combustion waste]] (CCW) stored in surface impoundments like the one involved in the [[TVA Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill]].<ref name="iss">Sue Sturgis, [http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/01/coals-ticking-timebomb-could-disaster-strike-a-coal-ash-dump-near-you.html "Coal's ticking timebomb: Could disaster strike a coal ash dump near you?,"] Institute for Southern Studies, January 4, 2009.</ref> The data came from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for 2006, the most recent year available.<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer/ TRI Explorer,] EPA, accessed January 2009.</ref>
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.<Ref name="blind spot"/>
==Nuclear portfolio==
===Existing nuclear power stations===
* [[Brunswick Nuclear Plant]], a two-nuclear reactor unit rated at 1,875-MW is located near Southport, North Carolina.
* [[Crystal River Nuclear Plant]], a single nuclear reactor unit rated at 838-MW is located near Crystal River, Florida, on a site that also includes four coal-fired generating units that generate 2,313 MW.
* [[Harris Nuclear Plant]], is a single nuclear reactor unit rated at 900-MW is located near New Hill, North Carolina.
* [[Robinson Nuclear Plant]] is a single nuclear reactor unit rated at 710-MW and is located near Hartsville, South Carolina. The site also includes a coal-fired unit that generates 180 MW and a combustion turbine unit that generates 15 MW.
===Troubled new Levy County nuclear project ===
In August 2009, the Florida Cabinet approved Progress Energy's proposal for a new nuclear plant in Levy County, north of Inglis. It would be "the first such plant approved in Florida in 33 years," reported the ''Miami Herald''. "Progress seeks to raise its base rates by 30 percent to pay for the nuclear plant, which would not be up and running until at least 2018." <ref>Shannon Colavecchio, "[http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/1181125.html Florida Cabinet OK's first new nuclear plant in 33 years]," ''Miami Herald'' (Florida), August 11, 2009.</ref>
By August of 2011, plant costs had risen from $8 billion to $20 billion and the timeline for construction had stretched out to at least 2021 (according to Progress), or possibly as late as 2027 (according to consumer advocates). As a result, advance payments by Florida consumers for the nuclear power plant were considered to be excessive by the state Office of Public Counsel and regulatory hearings were scheduled. <ref>[http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/08/14/2358888/fla-nuclear-plant-delays-rankle.html "Florida nuclear plant delays rankle consumers"] Associated Press, Aug. 14, 2011.</ref> <ref>Ivan Penn, [http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/progress-energys-plan-for-oft-delayed-levy-county-nuclear-plant-under-fire/1185702 "Progress Energy's plan for oft-delayed Levy County nuclear plant under fire,"] St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 14, 2011. </ref>
===Report: Progress Energy's nuclear plants not replacing coal===
A 2011 report by NC Warn, [http://www.ncwarn.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/NCW-NuclearClimate_web.pdf "New Nuclear Power is Ruining Climate Protection Efforts and Harming Customers"], argues that companies like Progress Energy have said they want 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."
The report states that "Progress Energy Florida plans to increase its generating capacity by a net 1,545 MW by 2020, bringing two new AP1000 reactors online, totaling 2,210 MW, at the Levy County site. That project is now delayed until after the 2020 planning horizon. PEF plans to retire two older coal-fired units totaling 869 MW, or about 38% of its coal capacity. However, those retirements could well be reversed for any of three reasons:
# if delays and uncertainty continue with the company’s proposed nuclear project (recently a Florida regulator indicated that the project has been set back to a 2027 opening),
# if CEO Bill Johnson repeats his recent announcement that in the Carolinas, he will alternatively burn coal and natural gas depending on contemporaneous prices, and
# if Progress Energy adopts, as expected, the expansionist business model of [[Duke Energy]], which is in the process of acquiring Progress Energy."<ref>Jim Warren, [http://www.ncwarn.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/NCW-NuclearClimate_web.pdf "New Nuclear Power is Ruining Climate Protection Efforts and Harming Customers"] NC Warn, 2011 Report.</ref>
==Personnel==
*[[William D. Johnson]] is the Chief Executive Officer and President. According to ''Forbes'' magazine, Johnson receives $5.1 million per year in total salary and stock. He ranked 290 among U.S. CEOs in 2011. <ref> [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/12/ceo-compensation-11_William-D-Johnson_ILBS.html "William D. Johnson,"] Forbes.com, March 25, 2011. </ref> ===Occupational Safety=== On Sept. 15, 2011, N.C. labor officials fined Progress Energy $31,500 for safety violations that contributed to the death of Corey Rogers, 24, who was killed March 15, 2011 by a hydrogen explosion while performing maintenance at the [[Sutton Steam Plant|Sutton]] coal-fired plant near Wilmington, N.C. <ref> John Murawski, [http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/09/16/1492094/progress-energy-fined-31500.html#ixzz1YbivwjeZ "Progress Energy fined $31,500"] Raleigh News & Observer, Sept. 16, 2011. </ref>
==Contact details==
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Nuclear power]]
[[Category:Nuclear PR]]
[[Category:Corporations]]
[[Category:Climate change]]
[[Category:Power companies and agencies in the United States]]
