Duke Energy Attacks Rooftop Solar Energy (VIDEOS)

Originally published on Ecopreneurist.

The dirty little tricks that big energy companies use to maintain their stranglehold over their customers, while continuing to pollute the very regions the serve, have now taken on a new twist. Duke Energy, whose operations were responsible for spilling 82,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River, is now trying to run a misinformation campaign that attacks rooftop solar energy across the company’s service territories in Southern states.

Duke Energy, which is the largest electricity in the United States, claims that moving their toxic coal ash dumps away from waterways is too expensive, and too lengthy of a process, and wants to get its customers to foot the bill for it. Coal ash contains high levels of arsenic, lead, selenium and other heavy metals that are believed to cause cancer and birth defects, and the coal ash dumps are predominantly located near and among low-income communities.

But Presente and The Other 98% aren’t taking this sitting down, and have retaliated by running their own version of the events, right in time for the company’s annual shareholder meeting, in which Duke Energy has been dubbed Dirty Duke:

“Latino communities are sick of Duke Energy poisoning our families and undermining our efforts to get clean energy. Times are changing, and Duke can no longer get away with polluting our communities in secret. We demand Duke stop destroying our climate, our health, and our neighborhoods. – Arturo Carmona, Executive Director of Presente.org

If you’re in support of people being able to make the choice for clean energy, and not have to settle for being polluted by Duke Energy’s dirty coal plants, then send them a message at Dirty Duke.