A ‘dirty’ deal

On Feb. 11, 150 people took every seat in the hearing room of the Utilities Commission and then filled two overflow rooms. Forty people commented on Duke Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan proposing annual rate hikes, which double residential bills over the next 10 years.

Duke claims these increases are necessary to construct nuclear and coal-fired power plants, dangerous and dirty forms of energy production. Citizens’ testimony offered data on sustainable, profitable alternatives that protect our health, reduce global warming and protect us from massive rate hikes.

My grandmother purchased Duke Energy stock in the 1960s. Utilities were a safe investment for small investors, yielding supplemental income and stable growth. I inherited these shares as have many people my age. I’m a shareholder, a rate payer, a lover of the earth, a parent.

No dividend will offset the damage to North Carolina, the nation and the planet if Duke’s plan is implemented. Shares in Duke Energy will not be a safe investment in our future or a welcome inheritance for our children.

Rachael Wooten

Raleigh