Duke Energy Faces Fierce Backlash in Raleigh Over Skyrocketing Bills and Fossil Fuel Expansion

Duke Energy is under fire in Raleigh as a growing wave of protesters gathered to challenge the utility giant’s plans to expand fossil fuel infrastructure amid soaring electricity bills. Organized by the environmental group NC WARN, the demonstration targeted Duke’s merger approval and the state’s regulatory delays that threaten to stall renewable energy projects.

Since 2020, North Carolina residents have seen their electric bills climb roughly 22%, a burden activists say is compounded by Duke Energy’s insistence on building new natural gas plants while postponing coal plant retirements. At the heart of the protest is outrage over a recent merger approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC), combining Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress under one corporate umbrella.

Despite Duke’s claim that the merger will save customers over $1 billion by 2038, the company has requested a residential rate hike of up to 18% over two years. This could mean an average increase of about $34 per month by 2028 for households already struggling with rising costs.

The NCUC has also put a freeze on major new solar projects until Duke Energy’s updated carbon plan is finalized in 2026. This pause delays enough solar development to power approximately 130,000 homes, a setback for clean energy advocates.

“We have to get past the corporate propaganda that has led North Carolina to think we’re going in the right direction,” said NC WARN executive director Jim Warren. “We are morally committed to doing everything peacefully possible to change the direction of this giant corporate polluter.”

Protesters carried signs reading “stop climate deception” and “people over profits” outside the Governor’s Mansion, where some planned to block entrances as an act of civil disobedience. When questioned by State Capitol Police, Warren insisted the group would remain until their demands are heard.

Duke Energy declined to comment on the protest but has previously stated that meeting the Carolinas’ growing power demand requires a diverse energy mix including natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery storage.

This showdown in Raleigh spotlights the ongoing battle between corporate energy interests and communities demanding accountability, affordable power, and a transition to clean energy. With rates climbing and climate stakes rising, the pressure on state officials to act decisively against fossil fuel expansion has never been greater.