i'm sorry i'm not posting something cute. yay! duke energy is going to kill us all! (also i plagiarized the hell out of this, but don't tell them that.) this is all for naught...
YOUR INQUIRY:
I recently found out that Duke Energy is trying to build a new coal power plant in Charlotte, NC.
Power plants are a major source of air pollution, with coal-fired power plants spewing 59% of total U.S. sulfur dioxide pollution and 18% of total nitrogen oxides every year. Burning fossil fuels such as coal releases carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, making energy use the single largest source of greenhouse gases in the U.S. and the world. Coal-fired power plants and the pollution they release every day are a major threat to human health and our environment.
I would urge you to search for other ways to increase your energy output as a company -- renewable methods!
And if there is any doubt, just watch "An Inconvenient Truth" if you haven't already. http://www.climatecrisis.net/
Don't add to the worlds problems -- work to solve them! I urge you. Please contact me at [info removed to protect the innocent] or at [my phone number - call me!]. My roommate and I share our Duke Energy bill, although it is in his name [StrayDog].
Sincerely,
Sarah
OUR RESPONSE:
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your e-mail and your interest in the Cliffside project. Duke
Energy provides safe, reliable and affordable electricity to 2.3 million
customers in the Carolinas. By 2026, in North Carolina alone, the population is
expected to increase by more than 30 percent to nearly 10 million people. The
Cliffside Modernization Project will help meet our growing region’s need for
electric power.
Duke Energy uses a variety of fuels to produce electricity – coal, nuclear,
natural gas and renewables, including hydroelectric power. Coal continues to
serve our region and our nation well, as our most plentiful and secure fuel for
power generation. The new 800-megawatt unit at Cliffside will use that valuable
natural resource in a way that is significantly cleaner and much more efficient
than in the past.
The project also involves retiring four older, less-efficient units at
Cliffside. The new unit is expected to generate more than twice the electricity
of the existing plant – but only one-seventh of the sulfur dioxide, one-third
of the nitrogen oxide and one-half of the mercury. In recognition of those
environmental improvements, the Cliffside project has qualified for a
substantial federal tax incentive of $62.5 million.
In addition, we have pledged to invest 1 percent of our revenues in the
Carolinas each year in energy efficiency programs (assuming appropriate
regulatory approval) – and to retire up to 800 megawatts of older,
less-efficient generation for every megawatt those programs save based on
overall system reliability. At the same time, we are actively seeking to add
more renewable energy to our portfolio.
To meet our region’s growing demand, the reality is that we need to conserve
energy and find ways to use it more efficiently. We need to modernize
Cliffside. We need to retire older, less-efficient generation. We need more
renewable energy. By using all of these resources, Duke Energy can continue to
provide safe, reliable and affordable electricity as our region prospers and
grows.
Best regards,
Web Support Team
SARAH'S RESPONSE:
Dear Web Support Team:
I think Duke Energy should be doing more to combat the alarming effect that coal-burning has on our surroundings. Is your organization aware of the NC Public Radio show "The State of Things" -- they had a story regarding your company that aired last week on Tuesday (http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot0205a08.mp3). They have brought up some issues that I should think your company would be very interested in responding to.
Please inform Jim Rogers that I, Sarah [LAST NAME], would like to formally protest the building of the new Cliffside coal power plant. I would appreciate a confirmation that this message has reached Mr. Rogers.
Thank you for your consideration in this important matter.
Sincerely,
Sarah
[my address!]
