Duke’s carbon plan: A great start, but unlikely to get NC where we need to go | Opinion
Imagine a road map to a cleaner, healthier North Carolina — a future powered by sustainable energy, with less impact on the climate and an acceptable cost to consumers.
That’s the promise of the Energy Transition Plan (commonly called the Carbon Plan), proposed by Duke Energy and now awaiting approval from the N.C. Utilities Commission. But the current proposal from Duke Energy is like a road map with only one route and many unmarked detours. It is a great start, but unlikely to get us where we need to go.
We will never have a better opportunity than now to transform North Carolina’s electric grid and get serious about combating climate change. All the elements for a successful Carbon Plan are in place — bipartisan legislation, shared goals and objectives, a rigorous planning process, and aligned stakeholders.
However, the challenges are greater than Duke Energy expected, with higher load projections, inflation and supply chain concerns. As a result, their draft plan falls far short of what we need. It prioritizes a single path with high uncertainty. It delays critical emission reductions and lacks the flexibility necessary for such a complex system.
The stakes are high: A flawed Carbon Plan means a slower shift to clean energy, jeopardizing our environment and future business growth. It will also place a higher cost burden on consumers who may already struggle to pay their energy bills. Home and business insurance costs will rise for all of us, not just for those in flood or hurricane prone areas.
The time to act is now: climate change is costing North Carolina billions from the record breaking heat we are all feeling, extreme weather events, rising sea levels and more. These threats will only grow until carbon goals are realized.
Meanwhile, the clean energy revolution is booming. States leading the charge are attracting new businesses and jobs. North Carolina risks falling behind if we cling to the past.
The good news? The solution isn’t out of reach. We know how to strengthen the Carbon Plan without undue cost or risk to consumers or Duke Energy — by reducing dependence on fossil fuels, embracing innovative technologies like offshore wind and battery storage, and continuously adapting the plan to leverage changing technologies to optimize our shared goals.
Multiple stakeholders have proposed such enhancements to the Utilities Commission, and Duke Energy’s technical staff has the expertise to implement them. These changes can help us achieve a faster, cleaner, less costly and more certain energy transition.
The Utilities Commission holds the key. They must ensure the final Carbon Plan contains more aggressive carbon reductions, embraces flexibility for unforeseen challenges, prioritizes innovation, and readies North Carolina for the coming clean energy economy.
Moreover, those being harmed by extreme weather and other climate change impacts are often those who are less likely to have the resources to recover. An improved Carbon Plan can help protect vulnerable communities and workers, including outdoor workers, farmers, fishermen and service providers who help our economy thrive. Environmental justice is one more consideration for a more aggressive energy transition.
We cannot afford to sleepwalk into a crisis that could have been averted by taking decisive action now. The Utilities Commission has not yet voted on the Carbon Plan, and ratepayers can still weigh in. We hope that more customers will tell Duke Energy and the Commission to enhance their plan, embrace clean energy faster and ensure a cost-effective, reliable and sustainable power system for decades to come. Comment on the Commission website at www.ncuc.gov/contactus and enter docket “E-100 Sub 190.”
The future of our environment and economy hinges on getting this right.
John Gaertner spent his career in power generation as a licensed engineer, atmospheric scientist and risk analyst. He is retired from the Electric Power Research Institute and lives in Charlotte. Jennifer Roberts is a former Charlotte mayor active in climate issues.
