Tell Your Representative: No Lump Sum For Future Duke Energy Rate Hikes

MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson testifies to the NC Utilities Commission at a hearing about Duke Energy’s proposed rate hike in 2017.

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HB 624 would be a gift from NC legislators to Duke Energy, but it’s an insult to North Carolina’s ratepayers.

Yesterday, legislation that means trouble for anyone worried about their energy bill in North Carolina passed the NC Senate.

If the House version of this bill – HB 624 – passes, Duke Energy would no longer have to get approval from the NC Utilities Commission every time the company wants to raise energy costs on customers. Instead, this bill would allow regulators to approve yearly rate hikes for up to five years all at once.

HB 624 reduces transparency and accuracy around Duke Energy’s rate hikes, and limits the right for ratepayers to have a say when their energy bills are set to rise.

And since the bill allows rate hikes to be approved years ahead of time, it opens the door for ratepayers to be significantly overcharged for energy costs. We’ve already seen this happen in Virginia and South Carolina (details below action).

The amount you’ll pay for your energy bill in 2024 shouldn’t be decided in 2020 when any number of factors could change those costs by then. That’s just common sense, and politicians on both sides of the aisle should support making sure future costs to consumers are as accurate and transparent as possible.

Energy rate hikes are no small thing for North Carolinians trying to make ends meet. Take the action below to tell your NC House Representative: No lump sum for future Duke rate hikes. Vote No on HB 624.

Thank Boone’s Town Government for Taking Steps to Assess and Modernize Stormwater Management!

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Good news! Boone’s Town Manager and Town Council have selected the Center for Watershed Protection to perform a review of Boone’s stormwater management ordinance! By getting the expertise of the Center – which is the consulting organization that the Watauga Riverkeeper program recommended for this process – our local government is actively seeking information that will help modernize how Boone manages its stormwater.

It’s clear to Boone’s citizens and visitors that flooding is becoming a huge issue for our town. Flooding is harming water quality, eroding streambanks and roads, and causing property damage, and we’ve seen these issues get worse over time. We applaud Boone’s town government for taking leadership on this issue now to make Boone resilient for the future.

Stand Up For Clean Water at Mine Permit Hearing May 2!

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The North Toe River in Spruce Pine is loved by paddlers, anglers and swimmers alike. It provides tourism opportunities for the local community, and is home to trout and endangered species that need clear mountain rivers to thrive.

However, mining facilities on the North Toe have violated water quality standards repeatedly in recent years, and last summer, the North Toe closed to the public after a hydrofluoric acid spill from a mine caused a fish kill. And while the NC Department of Environmental Quality considers the river impaired, the agency has proposed new permits for the next several years that would allow the pollution from the mine processing facilities to continue.

Right now the permits for all six mining facilities on the North Toe are up for renewal. Thankfully, MountainTrue members like you contacted the NC Division of Water Resources in February to make sure the Spruce Pine community gets a public hearing before the permits are approved, and that hearing is now scheduled for Thursday, May 2.

Hearing Details:

Public Hearing on Wastewater Discharge Permit Renewals for Avery and Mitchell Counties

Thursday May 2 at 6 P.M.

Mitchell Senior Citizens Center

152 Ledger School Road

Bakersville, NC 28705

Speaker registration begins at 5:30 P.M.

We hope you’ll come to the hearing to stand up for clean water, and spread the word to make sure there’s a big public turnout!

Why Are The Mine Permits A Problem?

As it stands, these Clean Water Act permits would allow these mining facilities to continue dumping polluted water into the North Toe River for the next several years. Now is our chance to urge the Department of Environmental Quality to do the right thing. DEQ can still change the permits to require the mines to clean up their act, instead of locking in the same pollution for years to come.
DEQ considers the North Toe River impaired, but allows the current pollution to continue unabated in the proposed renewed pollution permits.
DEQ should require the facilities with aging or failing infrastructure to upgrade their operations, reduce pollution, and protect water quality.
These six mining facilities generate an enormous amount of waste and together have a real negative impact on the North Toe. With all six permits up for renewal, now is the perfect opportunity for DEQ to take a closer look at these mining facilities and to develop permits will clean up the river.
The outdoor recreation economy in Western North Carolina depends on clean water and requires industry to be good stewards of our rivers.
If you live near the North Toe, DEQ needs to hear from you about what conditions you observe when mine runoff clogs the river and where the biggest problems are.

Proposed Mine Facility Permits:

Crystal Operation: https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/crystal-operation-permit-nc0084620-0

The Feldspar Corporation: https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/feldspar-corporation-permit-nc0000353

Red Hill Quartz Processing Plant: https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/red-hill-quartz-processing-plant-permit-nc0085839-0

Schoolhouse Quartz Facility: https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/schoolhouse-quartz-facility-permit-nc0000361-0

Quartz Operation: https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/quartz-operation-permit-nc0000175-0

Quartz Corp/Pine Mountain: https://deq.nc.gov/news/events/quartz-corppine-mountain-permit-nc0000400-1

Call on Asheville City Council to Fund Transit Route Improvements for Historically Disenfranchised Communities!

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Asheville city staff recently announced their recommendations for what City Council should fund in the upcoming city budget.

While the Asheville Regional Transit Coalition is excited that they’re recommending more frequent and extensive service throughout the city – bundled together as the “green” and “purple” route improvements – they have not recommended funding for a bundle of “yellow” route improvements that would serve the historically disenfranchised communities of Bartlett Arms, Livingston and South French Broad.

And while the exact number is unclear, we know it wouldn’t cost much more to make sure these yellow routes get funding in the budget.

Together, we can make sure these historically disenfranchised communities aren’t left behind as the city funds improvements for public transit. Take the action to call on City Council to include funding for the yellow route improvements in this year’s budget!

Celebrate Earth Day with MountainTrue

As you may have heard, the NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced recently that it will order a full cleanup of every coal ash pit in the state! This is truly one of the biggest environmental victories of our era. As if that wasn’t enough, last week Duke Energy announced that it has indefinitely postponed the construction of a 190-megawatt gas-fired peaker plant on Lake Julian, removing it from its list of future projects.

For six years, MountainTrue members kept the pressure on Duke Energy and the state Department of Environmental Quality to clean up the coal ash mess and to move beyond fossil fuels toward more efficiency and renewable energy. You are part of that legacy. Your support held Duke Energy accountable. These victories are an important reminder that your activism can change the course of history.

When you stand with MountainTrue, you fight for our environment. Will you stand alongside MountainTrue this Earth Day?

Whether you’re taking action in the field, making conscious decisions in your daily life that lead to a sustainable future, or making contributions that invest in a lasting impact, we celebrate you for being part of a community that is making a difference this Earth Day.

By donating to MountainTrue, you safeguard public lands, advocate for the common good in the halls of government, protect our waterways, and help build a sustainable future in the face of climate change.

In honor of Earth Day, act locally by making a contribution to MountainTrue today. With your donation, you will be helping to fight for future successes like these.

Thank you for being part of MountainTrue and making this work possible.

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