N. Carolina doesn’t pick electric mix to lower carbon levels

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina utility regulators have told Duke Energy Corp. to carry out a series of activities to generate electricity that they say will help ensure greenhouse gas reductions set in a new state law are met. But the Utilities Commission’s directives announced late Friday on solar, wind, nuclear and other sources for electricity don’t endorse any particular mix of energy sources to meet the mandates. A 2021 bipartisan state law says carbon dioxide emissions must fall 70% by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels. Net-zero emissions by 2050 also are ultimately necessary, according to the law. Duke Energy and environmental groups had proposed several different energy portfolios.