Duke Energy proposed rate increase

Reports in the Indy Weekly and the Charlotte Observer indicate that the public hearings on proposed rate increases are turning into referendums on the Cliffside power plant. The 13.5 percent rate increase under consideration by the North Carolina Utilities Commisision will help foot the construction bill for the 800-megawatt boiler – now nearly 50% completed and coming in at around $2.4 billion in public dollars.