'No rate hikes.' Protestors rally against proposed Duke Energy rate increases
Protestors in Durham, North Carolina, rallied against Duke Energy's proposed 18% residential rate increase, linking the hikes to the energy demands of new data centers being built by Amazon and Microsoft. The North Carolina Utilities Commission held a public hearing to gather comments on the proposed increases, which the state's Attorney General has also opposed.
Residents in downtown Durham, North Carolina, staged a protest against Duke Energy's proposed 18% residential rate increase over the next two years. The protest featured drag performers Jeff Bozos and Pay My Bills Gates, parodying Amazon and Microsoft, which are planning to build large data centers in the state and will require substantial energy.
Advocates at the rally claimed that the infrastructure needed to support these data centers is a major reason for Duke Energy's desired rate increases. Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks stated that the utility believes residential customers should not pay for data centers, and the data centers themselves will cover the cost of service delivery to their sites. However, protestors, including Raleigh resident Caroline Sparks, expressed frustration over being treated as "revenue streams" by the monopoly utility amidst rising living costs.
The protest was followed by a public hearing hosted by the North Carolina Utilities Commission at the Durham County Courthouse, where community members provided comments on the proposed rate hikes. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has also filed testimony with the Utilities Commission, arguing that the plan would cost ratepayers nearly $1.4 billion in unnecessary charges. A final decision on the rate changes is expected by the end of the year, following a testimony hearing in July.