Today 150 environmental, social justice, faith and youth organizations and businesses from across the country called on North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein to confront Duke Energy Corp.’s expansion of planet-warming fossil fuels and obstruction of renewable energy solutions [1]. The letter comes after the town of Carrboro sued Duke Energy — the third-largest corporate polluter in the country — in the first-ever lawsuit against an electric utility for harms caused by the company’s decades-long climate deception campaign [2].
The town’s lawsuit says Duke Energy’s actions have worsened the climate crisis and cost the town millions of dollars. According to the complaint, Duke Energy executives have known for more than 50 years about the dangers of fossil fuels but have facilitated a nationwide campaign to mislead the public about its climate harms and increased reliance on coal and gas for electricity. Now communities across the state are being harmed as fossil fuels drive up utility bills and pollution and worsen the climate crisis.
“The nation and the world desperately need bold leaders to step up as climate champions,” said Jim Warren, executive director of NC WARN. “Gov. Stein must break through the continuing Duke Energy deception and help the public understand that North Carolina cannot allow the continued expansion of fracked gas and the suppression of cheaper, faster, fairer solar power at the local level.”
Stein has a history of standing up to Duke Energy leaders and other polluters during his eight years as attorney general. As governor, he should use his powerful voice to help the public understand the urgency of phasing out fossil fuels this decade, the groups say. They are urging Stein to use his broad authority to alter Duke Energy’s business practices to stop increasing fossil fuel power generation and suppressing solar power [3].
“Gov. Stein must stand up to fossil fuel bullies like Duke Energy, whose anti-climate shenanigans are causing widespread harm to people and our planet,” said Gaby Sarri-Tobar, senior energy justice campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “North Carolinians, like millions of people across the country, are facing life-altering fossil fuel-driven extreme weather and skyrocketing utility bills. And it’ll only get worse as Duke Energy expands fracked gas and blocks resilient and affordable renewable energy solutions like rooftop and community solar. Especially now as Trump and his billionaire buddies throw communities and our climate under the bus, we need Gov. Stein to be the first in line to challenge the polluters who are putting lives in peril.”
Duke Energy plans to build 9 gigawatts of new fracked gas plants in the Carolinas alone by 2033, which would saddle families with higher utility bills, worsen air and water quality, and fuel global warming and more extreme weather, like heat waves and hurricanes, in the Southeast [4]. Meanwhile, in 2023, the corporation generated only 1.4% of its power from solar [5].
For many years, Duke Energy has obstructed local solar solutions, like rooftop and community solar, despite the many community and resilience benefits distributed renewable energy provides [6].
“Gov. Stein, as our former Attorney General, you are keenly aware of all the work we’ve done to protect our communities and minimize climate change,” said Bobby Jones, President of the Down East Coal Ash Environmental and Social Justice Coalition. “Yet our communities are still reeling from past hurricanes and heat waves. And many are still waiting on Rebuild NC to restore their homes. We are hopeful that you will help change course for North Carolina and protect the people from Duke Energy’s climate-destroying business plan.”
NC WARN and the Center for Biological Diversity welcome additional signers as the campaign continues to grow.
This article was first published by NC WARN.
Work Cited
“Concern Regarding Duke Energy’s Decades-Long Climate Deception and Urgent Need for Solutions.” NC WARN and Center for Biological Diversity. 6 Mar. 2025, www.ncwarn.org/wp-content/uploads/SteinLetter3-6-25.pdf.
“Town of Carrboro v. Duke Energy.” Carrboro, 4 Dec. 2024, www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/15749/Complaint-Litigation-.
“Is Gov. Roy Cooper a Climate Change Pretender?" NC WARN, 9 Nov. 2023, www.ncwarn.org/2023/09/is-gov-roy-cooper-a-climate-change-pretender.
Ouzts, Elizabeth. “Regulators OK Duke Energy'S Gas-plant Buildout Despite N.C. Climate Law.” Canary Media, 6 Nov. 2024, www.canarymedia.com/articles/utilities/regulators-ok-duke-energys-gas-plant-buildout-despite-n-c-climate-law.
"Advancing Toward a Cleaner Tomorrow, Duke Energy Impact Report." Duke Energy, 2023, s201.q4cdn.com/583395453/files/doc_downloads/2024/05/impact-report-2023-final.pdf.
“NC Court of Appeals Upholds Duke Energy Attack on Rooftop Solar.” NC WARN, 17 Sept. 2024, www.ncwarn.org/2024/09/nc-court-of-appeals-upholds-duke-energy-attack-on-rooftop-solar-nc-warn-news-release.