Duke Energy’s rate increase meets a very energized public | Opinion

The author is executive director of the North Carolina Conservation Network:

North Carolina Conservation Network recently submitted a petition to the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) signed by over 30,000 people who oppose Duke Energy’s request to raise rates on customers. We estimate total combined comments submitted to the NCUC related to the rate cases with Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress will exceed 40,000. That’s enough people to fill up the Carolina Hurricanes’ home arena twice over. I’m confident this eclipses the public comment number for any issue in the Utility Commission’s history.

Duke Energy had been asking the NCUC to approve an 18% increase in rates for residential customers. Recognizing an outpouring of public opposition, the company revised its request to an 11.6% increase. This is still too high. And the company is still asking for a 10.48% ROE (return on equity, a sort of guaranteed profit for investors paid for by customers). For context, Duke Energy reported $5 billion in profits for 2025 and the company’s executive compensation is among the highest in the nation for a utility company.

North Carolina Conservation Network was formed nearly three decades ago. In that time, we have seen a handful of moments where North Carolina residents from all political backgrounds have come together to demand state leaders address an urgent problem. When air pollution in our state was near a breaking point in the late 1990s and early 2000s, people demanded action. When Duke Energy’s coal ash disposal was discovered to be contaminating water in communities across the state, people demanded action. When DuPont and Chemours were putting harmful forever chemicals into the Cape Fear River, contaminating drinking water from Fayetteville to Wilmington, people demanded action. And the public pressure worked. State lawmakers passed the Clean Smokestacks Act and the Coal Ash Management Act. State regulators secured strong legal agreements to effectively clean up coal ash and require Chemours to take action to address GenX pollution.

Now, a similar surge in public pressure is taking place. Since Duke Energy filed for rate increases for customers late last year, we have seen crowded public hearings, protests, news stories and viral social media posts illustrating the frustration tens of thousands of people are feeling.

This moment is the next test for state leaders. Members of the NC Utilities Commission are not elected by voters or utility customers. They’re appointed by the General Assembly, the Governor, and the State Treasurer. The public has been clear during the public comment period – Duke Energy’s rate request is excessive. The NCUC should take action to protect ratepayers.