public utilities

NC Legislators & Governor: We Oppose the Forced Taking of Municipal Water Systems! Sign up for the fight here.

Cross-posted from Scrutiny Hooligans:

It began well over a year ago when the representative from NC’s 116th district filed a bill that would forcibly merge the City of Asheville’s public water utility with the Metropolitan Sewerage District. He didn’t bother to tell Asheville’s elected officials about it, even though they were in his office the day before. Quickly backpedaling, the representative reformatted the seizure into a “Study Committee” process. The “Study Committee” went through the motions, ignored the opposition, and came up with a recommendation that mirrored the original seizure bill. The bill itself was filed this past Thursday, HB488. It is an outright taking, offering no compensation for loss of the asset.

A by-the-numbers look at Duke Energy's controversial rate hike proposal -- which comes as the company is earning huge profits and avoiding federal income taxes -- from the Institute for Southern Studies:

INSTITUTE INDEX: Duke Energy's cold-hearted rate hike request

From Winston-Salem Journal report Thursday:

The N.C. Utilities Commission will hold a public hearing on Duke Energy's proposed rate increases at 7 p.m. today in High Point City Hall.

The meeting, one of several around the state, comes after the company requested that residential rates rise 17 percent. (This would mean that residents' monthly bills would increase by at least $18 a month on average, according to one estimate.)