NC Public Utilities Commission to hold Public Hearing in Franklin Tonight

UPDATE: Here is the video of the public hearing.

A May 21 hearing will be held in Franklin on Duke Energy Carolinas’ 9.7 percent rate-hike request.

The hearing will be one of six the N.C. Utilities Commission scheduled, that will end in a July 8 public hearing in Raleigh where Duke Energy and expert witnesses will offer testimony. 

See video of the previous public hearing at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/nc-public-utilities-hearing-in-franklin.html

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Duke Carolinas’ rate request is its third since 2009. Customers will be asked to pay for the $3.8 billion the company has spent since 2011 on new power plants and upgrades to nuclear plants and transmission systems.

While Duke is seeking a 9.7 percent overall increase, most residential customers would pay about 14 percent more. The Utilities Commission has to approve any increase.

In its most recent previous rate case, settled in January 2012, Duke agreed to an increase of less than half the size of its original request.

Duke Carolinas serves 1.9 million customers, mostly in North Carolina’s western half.

Tonight's hearing will start at 7pm on the fourth floor of the Macon County Courthouse.


You can download PDFs of all pertinent testimony at http://is.gd/13DECDOCS


Be aware that there will be plenty of people present at the Duke Energy Rate Increase public hearing, and, as always, the majority of them will have been fully coached on what to say and how to say it via workshops and Webinars. 

For example:

Wednesday, May 15, 6:30 pm: How to Tell a Compelling Story. This training by NC WARN organizers will focus on how to tell a compelling story when testifying at upcoming NC Utility Commission public hearings on the Duke Energy rate hike. Use what you learn to speak out for the real public good!

Link #1: http://www.ncwarn.org/2012/12/irp-and-rate-hike-hearings/


Link #2: http://www.consumersagainstratehikes.org/take-action/duke-energy-rate-hike/

Politics is involved with the opposition to the rate hike. Read more about that on a progressive blog at https://www.bluenc.com/public-hearings-duke-energy-rate-hike