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Y isnt Duke Energy, A FOR PROFIT CO., using it's profits to fund NEW BUILDS AND EXPANTIONS? How about taking those profits and puting them to the rate increse and not giving them to profit takers. The utility co. in Cal. did the same thing. Thy funded the overhall on the backs of thare users. Thy had not pland for the 25 yr. need of the overhalls. Thy had not saved one dime for this work. But paid out handsomely to its investers for all those yrs. More power to the occupiers. The people most hert buy this will be , whats left of the few middle cass and the down right poor,

Many can blame Duke Energy all they want, but I fault radical environmentalists and their allies in the Obama Administration and the Democratic lawmakers in Raleigh. For 19 years, Duke Energy did not raise its rates on customers, but that all changed in 2009. After assuming power in that year, President Obama, Governor Perdue, and Democratic members of Congress and our state legislature have enacted laws that have pushed the unsustainable "green energy" agenda that has been unable to supply electricity that keeps pace with our growing demand for power. The result is Duke Energy's need to raise power rates in 2009, 2010, and this most recent rate increase, that hits American consumers in the wallet as hard as Obama's high gas prices ($3.43 compared to $1.68 when Bush left office). Duke Energy has tried to keep energy rates in check with attempts to build new power plants and increase output at its exisiting facilities, but environmentalists have sued to stop this necessary means of adding power to the overwhelmed supply. We can expect more of the same with the Obama Administration's restrictions on energy supplies with his denial of oil drilling in our petroleum-abundant areas of Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, and other oil-rich regions in our nation. Governor Perdue and the Obama executive branch have ensured that no natural gas is be to explored off the N.C. coast and other prospective areas. Likewise, coal production has been drastically reduced in West Virginia and other mining regions of America under Obama's watch. Recently, environmentalists have now targeted fracking it their attempts to stop oil and natural gas drilling in our nation, again stopping a cost-cutting measure that would alleviate the financial burden on consumers. All of this has occurred while Obama spent $2 billion of our tax dollars on a crony capitialist venue with left-wing political supporter and fundraiser, billionaire George Soros, to help Brazil drill for oil off its shores and sell oil to China; billions in tax dollars given in the form of loans and grants to failed green energy and job-killing experiments like Solyndra and other bankrupt green companies that are only now being exposed; and let's not forget Obama's denial of the Keystone Pipeline deal with Canada that would have employed 20,000 Americans and brought instant relief to American motorists, consumers, and energy customers with lower rates and energy prices. So the next time you see a driver with an Obama or Sierra Club bumper sticker, be sure to thank them for the sky-high gas prices and power bills that they have made possible with their "eco-friendly" and socialist energy policies.

While Duke wants to increase the charges, why don't they consider increasing the amount they refund to customers who have a load control on their homes? The refund has not increased in years while their rate increases go through. Every time that Duke requests a rate increase they should also increase the load control refund by the same percentage rate to keep things equal. Currently, the small refund from using load control does not equal their rate increases. It is a two way street. They make you think that you are getting something back from them, while they continue to ensure that the load control refund is paid back to them through rate increases. The load control refund program is fast becoming a joke. There is no incentive to join the load control program. I am debating whether to continue with the program and suffer with extreme high summer temperatures or cancel the load control program and have a cool home all summer long.