Duking it out, Round 2
Duke Energy has taken issue with a guest blog posted Tuesday “Duke it out.” Today the company responds.
The blog at issue addressed the state’s order that Duke dig up and relocate millions of tons of coal ash at its old power plants, “a task of truly staggering logistical and financial consequences.” The blogger said the order “confirms the utility’s political clout in the state is zero” and concluded that “the company’s arrogance, naiveté and lack of political sophistication in North Carolina are a threat to its financial stability.”
That night, I got a call from a Duke executive. He said the blog was a “disservice” and “demoralizing” to Duke’s thousands of employees across North Carolina. He argued that I shouldn’t have posted an anonymous blog.
He asked me to take down the blog. I won’t do that. But I did offer Duke the opportunity to respond. The company sent the following:
I’m writing in response to the April 2 blog post you made on behalf of an unnamed author. Having read your past material, I was surprised at your willingness to publish someone else’s misinformed opinion without attribution.
State policy has played an important role in North Carolina’s transition to a cleaner energy future over the past decades and will continue to be critical in the energy industry’s transformation.
Good policy requires support from diverse stakeholders who are willing to work together, discuss key issues and collaborate, ultimately arriving at a solution that benefits customers and the communities we serve.
At Duke Energy, we’re focused on ensuring that our state’s plan for the future balances the aspirations and needs of all customers and communities, and builds a smarter, cleaner energy future. North Carolina, with Duke Energy’s full support, is second in the nation in total solar energy on the system. Our 35 solar facilities in the state have been a major force behind North Carolina’s adoption of solar energy. We also worked alongside a wide range of groups to support a landmark solar law passed in 2017 that advances the sustainable growth of solar.
Did you know that over half of Duke Energy’s generation in North Carolina already comes from carbon-free resources? In addition to intermittent solar energy, our industry leading nuclear fleet has safely generated low-cost, carbon-free electricity for decades. We have also closed half of our coal-fired generation in the state, and are safely managing coal ash based on sound science and engineering practices. Through constructive public policy, we have managed to accomplish all of these things while keeping customer rates below the national average.
Successful policy outcomes like these were not created in a vacuum but instead are the result of a frank, collaborative process, which sometimes isn’t easy or smooth. We value strong, productive relationships on both sides of the aisle in Raleigh, and we are engaged often in robust debates on tough policy issues.
What is easy, however, is to hide behind a veil of anonymity while taking cheap shots and hurling insults.
As one of North Carolina’s leading taxpayers with more than 16,000 employees and nearly 30,000 retirees, we will always advocate for our communities, our company and the 7 million people we serve in North Carolina.
That’s something I’m proud to sign my name to.
Stephen De May, North Carolina President, Duke Energy
Duking it out, Round 2
Duke Energy has taken issue with a guest blog posted Tuesday “Duke it out.” Today the company responds.
The blog at issue addressed the state’s order that Duke dig up and relocate millions of tons of coal ash at its old power plants, “a task of truly staggering logistical and financial consequences.” The blogger said the order “confirms the utility’s political clout in the state is zero” and concluded that “the company’s arrogance, naiveté and lack of political sophistication in North Carolina are a threat to its financial stability.”
That night, I got a call from a Duke executive. He said the blog was a “disservice” and “demoralizing” to Duke’s thousands of employees across North Carolina. He argued that I shouldn’t have posted an anonymous blog.
He asked me to take down the blog. I won’t do that. But I did offer Duke the opportunity to respond. The company sent the following:
I’m writing in response to the April 2 blog post you made on behalf of an unnamed author. Having read your past material, I was surprised at your willingness to publish someone else’s misinformed opinion without attribution.
State policy has played an important role in North Carolina’s transition to a cleaner energy future over the past decades and will continue to be critical in the energy industry’s transformation.
Good policy requires support from diverse stakeholders who are willing to work together, discuss key issues and collaborate, ultimately arriving at a solution that benefits customers and the communities we serve.
At Duke Energy, we’re focused on ensuring that our state’s plan for the future balances the aspirations and needs of all customers and communities, and builds a smarter, cleaner energy future. North Carolina, with Duke Energy’s full support, is second in the nation in total solar energy on the system. Our 35 solar facilities in the state have been a major force behind North Carolina’s adoption of solar energy. We also worked alongside a wide range of groups to support a landmark solar law passed in 2017 that advances the sustainable growth of solar.
Did you know that over half of Duke Energy’s generation in North Carolina already comes from carbon-free resources? In addition to intermittent solar energy, our industry leading nuclear fleet has safely generated low-cost, carbon-free electricity for decades. We have also closed half of our coal-fired generation in the state, and are safely managing coal ash based on sound science and engineering practices. Through constructive public policy, we have managed to accomplish all of these things while keeping customer rates below the national average.
Successful policy outcomes like these were not created in a vacuum but instead are the result of a frank, collaborative process, which sometimes isn’t easy or smooth. We value strong, productive relationships on both sides of the aisle in Raleigh, and we are engaged often in robust debates on tough policy issues.
What is easy, however, is to hide behind a veil of anonymity while taking cheap shots and hurling insults.
As one of North Carolina’s leading taxpayers with more than 16,000 employees and nearly 30,000 retirees, we will always advocate for our communities, our company and the 7 million people we serve in North Carolina.
That’s something I’m proud to sign my name to.
Stephen De May, North Carolina President, Duke Energy