Greensboro North Carolina’s residents have been outfitting their places over the past few months with new, inexpensive solar power. Duke Energy, best known for poisoning the Earth, is not at all happy with this development and are a wealthy corporation—so it’s law time:
As state regulators review the controversial case, the battle lines are clearly drawn. Advocates at North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network (NC WARN) and members of Faith Community Church support policy change. Duke Energy has responded by asking regulators to impose a stiff financial penalty against NC WARN that could threaten to shut down the organization.
"The stakes are high," said Jim Warren, executive director of NC WARN, a small nonprofit dedicated to tackling climate change by promoting renewable energy. Referring to Duke Energy, Warren said, "they certainly don't want competition."
Listen, if we know anything about Duke Energy, it’s that they are free marketeers that believe in healthy competition, fair play, and following the rules. Except all of the times that they don’t believe any of those things—which makes up what many would define as “most of the time.” Unfortunately, in this case, NC WARN may have offended the benevolent energy giant, with commercials like this:
NC WARN is pushing for exemption to North Carolina’s third-party sales restrictions because it says, besides providing the solar service, they are also providing funding and this is more than just selling electricity. Unfortunately Duke Energy, like Wyatt Earp before them, are lawmen all the way, and the law is the law.
But Duke Energy argues there is no wiggle room in the existing law, a position shared by the public staff of the Utilities commission, which makes policy recommendations to the commission but is not the same as the seven commissioners who will ultimately vote on this case.
"The law is clear in North Carolina," said company spokesman Randy Wheeless. If you want to sell power in the state, that makes you a utility and subject to all the regulations that come with that role. That’s why Duke has proposed regulators impose a $1,000 fine on NC WARN for every day its solar panels are connected to the grid. That would amount to more than $120,000.
Believe you me, Duke Energy knows a thing or two about fines. Of course, the fines they have been forced to pay are due to the negligent poisoning the Earth (and it’s inhabitants), as opposed to competing with virtual monopoly Duke Energy to provide cleaner, cheaper energy options. This attack is a clear attempt to sink a small business. NC WARN’s budget will not withstand a large fine.
The fight is on and Duke Energy and the Kochs are going to fight tooth and nail because it’s hard to make bread with less bones.