Donald Addu: Commit to clean energy

The May 15 news article “Duke Energy to pay $102 million” was a victory for North Carolinians. The next question is where will Duke store the remaining coal ash?

I know I don’t want it in my county, and I can’t think of anyone who would want a toxic substance stored in his backyard.

The problem is Duke continues to make coal ash as over half of all the electricity produced in North Carolina comes from coal. It is like we are trying to pump all of the water out of a sinking ship but have not yet plugged the leak.

The fastest way to stop coal ash from continuing to pour into our state is to change our energy tactics. We are already the second-largest producer of solar energy, and clean technology is one of the fastest growing industries in North Carolina.

By extending the state tax credits for renewable energy and putting a national price on carbon we can finally transition to an ash-free North Carolina.

This story was originally published May 20, 2015 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Donald Addu: Commit to clean energy."