Raleigh, NC -- Today, all the fracked gas purchasing agreements justifying the the Atlantic Coast Pipeline were set to expire because the Environmental Impact Statement for the pipeline was not completed before June 30, 2017. Instead, North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) granted an extension to Duke Energy for the contracts, responding to an emergency request without review by the NCUC or the public.
The extension was granted in a heavily redacted filing, and key information, including the new expiration date for the agreements and analysis of public benefits was blacked out. NCUC made the decision in only nine days, excluding the public from the process and limiting meaningful debate among the Commissioners.
Sierra Club Organizer Caroline Hansley issued the following statement in response:
“Since the Commission first allowed Duke’s affiliates to essentially buy gas from itself, there has been growing consensus that the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is not supported by actual market need. These agreements are not designed to meet market demand, but to enrich shareholders with guaranteed profits paid for by captive ratepayers. The NCUC is tasked with serving the public interests and to defend the rights of ratepayers. These secret agreements could lock North Carolinians into paying for unneeded fracked gas infrastructure for years to come, while exacerbating climate change and supplanting the chance to invest heavily in renewables.
“We have an opportunity now to support rapid job growth and a more sustainable economy through investments in renewable energy. Rather than propping up Duke Energy’s fracked gas, NCUC should protect ratepayers and reject these dangerous deals.”
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