energy watch

July 25, 2012 - State Rep. Mike Hager (R-Rutherford) says he called for a vote to override Gov. Beverly Perdue's veto of a bill to move forward with fracking after seeing a Democratic colleague opposed to the override leave the floor for a moment -- even though that lawmaker's district has a considerable stake in the matter.

July 19, 2012 - The American Tradition Institute, a conservative think tank with ties to fossil-fuel interests, is continuing its campaign to discredit prominent climate scientists using freedom of information requests - and it's particularly interested in their communications with journalists.

July 3, 2012 - Environmental and press watchdogs say Duke Energy is violating public records laws by keeping secret the special rate deals it negotiated with 17 major customers to win their support for the merger, which got final regulatory approval yesterday. In addition, regulators are questioning a surprise change in leadership at the newly merged company.

July 2, 2012 - An analysis of Chinese names on a petition urging the Obama administration to oppose strict regulations for toxic coal ash reveals hundreds of bogus monikers including "Big Steamed Bun" and "Come to China Donkey." Who's behind the petition, and what big energy interests are they fronting for?

June 20, 2012 - Responding to fracking opponents' concerns over how cash-strapped North Carolina can afford to regulate the industry, the legislature's Republican leadership is reportedly in talks with the American Petroleum Institute about paying for its own regulators. But given API's role leading up the BP disaster in the Gulf, does that really serve the public interest?

June 15, 2012 - North Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature has voted to legalize fracking in the state. Opponents are putting pressure on Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue to veto the bill, which does not appear to have enough support for an override.

June 15, 2012 - The deal to combine the two North Carolina-based utility giants has won conditional approval from federal regulators, but could it fall apart over worries about Progress Energy's Crystal River nuclear debacle in Florida and other expensive problems?