Citing climate change, Carrboro sues Duke Energy

A lawsuit filed by the town of Carrboro against Duke Energy accuses the utility of worsening climate change and misleading customers, a report by the NC Newsline website says.

The suit, filed Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court, seeks millions of dollars in damages for what Carrboro officials allege is Duke Energy’s failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions despite knowing the risks of climate change for decades.

Mayor Barbara Foushee said this is the first lawsuit in which a municipality has targeted a utility company in this manner.

“We’re bringing this lawsuit because taking care of our town, each other, and our climate is at the center of everything we do here in Carrboro,” Foushee said. “The climate crisis is causing tremendous harm to our community’s health and well-being.”

The utility said Wednesday it is reviewing the complaint.

“Duke Energy is committed to its customers and communities and will continue working with policymakers and regulators to deliver reliable and increasingly clean energy while keeping rates as low as possible,” the company said in a statement.

The lawsuit accuses Duke Energy of engaging in a “widespread campaign” to deceive the public about climate change. It cites an example from 2004, when Cinergy, a predecessor company of Duke Energy, claimed there was “an unresolved but robust debate on the ‘science’ of global warming,” despite knowing the causes and consequences of climate change.

NC Newsline’s report says Duke Energy executives have been aware of these risks for more than 50 years.

Duke Energy, based in Charlotte, is one of the larger operators of coal and natural gas power plants in the country, providing electricity to over 8 million customers in six states.