Duke Energy
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Are utilities’ plans for shoring up hazardous coal ash dams good enough?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released action plans submitted by 22 coal-fired power plants to improve the safety of the massive dammed surface impoundments where they store toxic coal ash, but environmental advocates question whether the plans do enough to protect the public from disaster. That’s because in the absence of federal regulations treating […]
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Big business’ climate conundrum: lead, follow or obstruct
Is that government out front, or big business?iStock PhotoCOPENHAGEN — The most popular American CEO here these two weeks, at least among other business leaders, has been Duke Energy chief Jim Rogers. Which doesn’t make much sense, as Duke generates most of its electricity from coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels. Consider Rogers’ own confession: […]
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Growth in renewable energy outpaces nuclear, fossil fuels
In some hopeful news for sustainable energy advocates, the latest production numbers from the federal government are out — and they show that the growth rate of renewable sources continues to outpace nuclear and fossil fuels. The data come as Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) are expected to introduce legislation today designed […]
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Dominoes Keep Falling for Clean Coal Coalition
Only a week after the nation’s third largest utility, Duke Energy, announced it was terminating its membership in the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), citing disagreement over clean energy legislation, another company has followed suit. Alstom Power is joining Duke for similar reasons. From the NY Times/Greenwire article: Alstom Power, a French company […]
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Shake-ups at high-profile coal industry group
This post was originally published on the blog of the Center for Public Integrity and is reposted on Grist with CPI’s kind permission. With its hefty bankroll and polished messaging, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity looked like a juggernaut going into the climate change debate on Capitol Hill. But ever since the House […]
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Duke Energy quits scandal-ridden American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
Cross-posted from Wonk Room. Electric utility giant Duke Energy has quit the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) because of the coal group’s unethical opposition to President Obama’s clean energy reform agenda. For the last few years, Duke has been one of the most prominent industry voices calling for the regulation of industrial global […]
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EPA reveals almost twice as many dangerous coal ash dumps as previously known
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released information showing there are 584 coal ash dump sites across the country — almost twice as many as previously identified. The facilities are located in 35 states and concentrated in Appalachia, the Southeast, Midwest and Intermountain West. The release [PDF] came late last Friday in response to a […]
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Nuclear plans hurting power companies’ credit ratings
Power companies pursuing construction of new nuclear plants may find it harder to get credit — meaning ratepayers could end up shouldering a greater financial burden for the costly and environmentally harmful projects. Moody’s Investors Service, a leading independent credit rating firm, recently released a report that says it’s considering taking a “more negative view” […]
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North Carolina governor calls for better regulation of coal ash dumps
North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue (D) has endorsed legislation that would increase oversight of the state’s coal ash dumps, the massive surface impoundments that power companies use to store the toxic waste left over after burning coal. Responding to watchdog pressure, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently disclosed the locations of 44 “high hazard” ash […]
