A new poll shows that 70% of voters across North Carolina firmly reject a
proposal to make it easier for Duke Energy and Progress Energy to build new
nuclear power plants.
The bipartisan poll of likely voters also found that large numbers say their
households would suffer financial hardship if the proposal passes the NC
Legislature, which would cause electricity rates to begin rising years before new
plants could be completed.
Consumers Against Rate Hikes announced the poll’s results on Wednesday. The
poll of 600 likely voters statewide found that an overwhelming majority say that
during these tough economic times, now is not the right time to raise electricity
rates to pay for nuclear reactors.
The likely voters said that increased rates would put a large burden on seniors
and all consumers and could drive companies and their jobs out of North
Carolina, according to the survey.
Bill Wilson, associate director for advocacy at AARP of North Carolina, said the
findings are common sense.
“In this difficult economy, this is not the time to increase utility rates on seniors,”
Wilson said.
The poll results come as Duke Energy and Progress Energy say they want the
Legislature to change state law in a way that would allow them to raise rates
each year to build new plants – and reduce oversight by the public and the NC
Utilities Commission.
Financial institutions have refused to lend the money needed to build the
reactors because of the high risks of cost escalation and project cancellation. A
controversial 2007 law already allows the utilities to pass on to consumers the
cost of building a new nuclear reactor in advance, but only if they can justify
rate increases in proceedings before the N.C. Utilities Commission.
“Unemployment and underemployment are at levels that breadwinners are
finding it difficult if not impossible to provide basic needs for their families,” said
Dr. Kathy Shea, executive director of NC Interfaith Power and Light. “We believe
that it is unacceptable for the general public to support risks that stockholders
and bankers are unwilling to assume. Increasing the burden on our citizens with
an annual rate hike is fundamentally unfair, inappropriate at best, and foolish at
worst.”
The poll was conducted jointly by the Republican firm of Hill Research
Consultants of The Woodlands, Texas, and the Democratic firm of Lauer Johnson
Research of Baton Rouge, La. The poll, conducted Feb. 7-11, has a sampling
error of plus or minus 4 percent.
Consumers Against Rate Hikes is supported by AARP North Carolina, Action NC,
Alliance for NC SAVE$ ENERGY, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League,
Clean Water for NC, NC Fair Share, NC Housing Coalition, NC Interfaith Power &
Light (a program of the NC Council of Churches), NC Justice Center, NC
League of Conservation Voters, NC WARN, Nuclear Information & Resource
Service, Western NC Physicians for Social Responsibility.
