Hundreds of residents, grassroots advocates call on North Carolina regulators to deny Duke Energy’s request to raise electric rates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2026

CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (276) 289-1018, dan@appvoices.org 

DURHAM, N.C. — Last night, members of the public and grassroots advocates spoke out against Duke Energy’s request to raise electric rates at a public hearing in front of the North Carolina Utilities Commission and a rally beforehand.

Duke Energy is seeking to raise residential rates by 16% for Duke Energy Carolinas customers and by 18% for Duke Energy Progress customers, while industrial customers’ rates would only increase by 12.7%. This residential rate increase would especially impact low-income residents, elderly individuals living on fixed incomes and small businesses across the state. Electric bills have already increased by 22% between 2020 and 2025.

At least 275 people attended the rally beforehand, with speakers including Rania Masri of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, Darrion Smith of UE Local 150 of the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union and Durham City Councilor Nate Baker. 

“Let’s be honest about what is happening here: This is not about improving infrastructure, this is a transfer of wealth from North Carolina’s working class straight to Wall Street investors,” said Darrion Smith, representing UE 150. “For a union worker fighting for a fair wage or an elderly neighbor surviving on retirement benefits or a family struggling to rebuild their lives after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, that money is the difference between keeping the lights on or putting food on the table.”

At the public hearing, participants filled the courtroom to maximum capacity. As a result, more than 50 people waited in line outside of the courthouse building for an hour and a half. Sixty-two individuals gave comments during the hearing, but around 80 people signed up. Due to the number of people signed up, the presiding commissioner directed speakers to limit comments to two minutes instead of three. 

“In my opinion, this entire meeting has been in violation of North Carolina General Statute 143-318.10,” said community member William Israel Mandelstamm. “There was not enough seating. There were hundreds of people out there who couldn’t come in. You didn’t offer overflow; you didn’t offer auditory listening items. … The best way to remedy this is to schedule another hearing.”

During the hearing, speakers shared difficulties paying their current electric bills, which they said are already too high. One speaker said they were shocked to receive bills over $400 for two months, while another said they had a $371 electric bill for an 870-square-foot home. Numerous others said their bills have at least doubled in recent years, with one individual saying their bill has increased from $65-$80 per month to $140. Individuals shared the unique challenges of paying high electric bills on fixed incomes, low incomes, while underemployed and while facing medical challenges.

“Duke cut off my power in the middle of winter, in the middle of a snow storm, when I was being paid minimum wage, which by the way hasn’t increased in the 10 years since this happened,” said community member Victoria Polischak. “It was frigid. We had to burn cardboard, anything we could find to keep warm. … I urge you not to do this, not to accept their rate hikes, because I can tell you from personal experience, it is torture.”

Numerous speakers noted that Duke Energy made nearly $5 billion in profits in 2025 and expressed frustrations about being asked to pay up to 18% more when they are already struggling to make ends meet, given already high electric bills and the rising cost of living. People also shared concerns about paying for coal ash basin closures as part of the proposed rate increase.

Data centers and other large-load customers could increase household electric bills even more in the future. Duke is proposing one of the largest expansions of methane gas infrastructure of any utility in the country, and stated that nearly 85% of the proposed gas power plants would be to meet demand from anticipated data centers. This is happening even as gas fuel costs and volatility have been responsible for a large proportion of electric bill increases for Duke customers since 2017. 

“Duke Energy is asking for regular customers to pay higher bills for projects that benefit data centers,” said Steph Gans, Assistant Director of Clean Water for North Carolina. “If the utilities commission allows this, that signals to water utilities that they might be allowed to do the same thing. This has to stop.” 

The utility is also requesting a 10.95% return on equity, which is the third-highest request since late 2024 of 53 power companies analyzed in an Environmental Defense Fund study. While Duke rakes in record earnings, its Customer Assistance Program, which offers a one-year monthly bill discount to vulnerable households, is set to end in 2027. 

“The contested rate case process is structurally tilted towards utilities, producing returns that cannot be reconciled with basic financial economics or to the statute that guides this commission,” said Joel Hornstein, Director of MarketClear Utility Policy Research. “Major investment firms project five to 10 year returns for the stock market as a whole at approximately 6.7%; not one projects a return above 9%. Duke’s requested 10.95% is far more, and that makes no sense. Utilities are the lowest risk of all S&P sectors. They are regulated monopolies with captive demand and exceptionally stable permanence. Duke’s low risk should translate to a cost equity significantly less than what investors require of the stock market as a whole.”

“Low-income customers are incredibly vulnerable to this pending rate increase,” said Michelle “Meech” Carter, Clean Energy Campaigns Director with the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters. “Duke’s Customer Assistance Program, which gives low-income folks $42 per month off their bill, is scheduled to end right when these hikes hit. Seniors on fixed incomes and residents already struggling to get by will be hit with a $65 per month increase or more. I work with folks already paying 75% of their incomes to keep their lights on. Is $5 billion in profit not enough for Duke Energy?”