Closing Coal Plants Saves More Than Running Them

Study: More savings in closing coal plants

John Hawley, October 2, 2017 (Daily Advance)

“Duke Energy would save customers money and create more jobs if it stopped using coal and relied more on renewable energy sources [according to North Carolina Clean Path 2025]…Duke contends, however, that the study’s findings are unrealistic, even as it moves to retire some coal plants and invest in green energy technology…[The study argues the plants will cause increased air pollution and] Duke would seek to recoup the costs for those facilities from ratepayers…[The studty concludes some residential customers could] see their bills rise by 85 percent through 2030…[while] a cleaner energy grid would save the average customer about $101 a year on their electric bill…Duke isn't closing all of its coal plants, even though [the study found] all of them to be cost-ineffective…Duke can meet North Carolinians' power needs without building any new nuclear or fossil fuel plants and still retire all its coal plants by 2027 [the study found. Duke responded that it] has reduced its demand projections…[and has plans for new solar, up to 500 megawatts of wind capacity, and] $30 million in new battery storage systems…” click here for more

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