Charlotte Talks: Examining The Future Of Energy In North Carolina
On WFAE’s Charlotte Talks, the topic was energy. There are competing ideas of what that future of energy looks like, and how best to achieve it. Mike Collins and industry watchers discuss those different – and differing – options.
The future of energy is not coal, but one that includes bio fuels, solar, wind and battery storage. Duke Energy has plans for all those and a goal of generating 8,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020. They also plan to spend upwards of 500 million dollars on battery storage in the next 15 years.
Some groups such as NC Warn say that even with these measures Duke Energy is not doing enough to move us towards a more sustainable energy future. NC Warn has also campaigned to move us away from a single company power provider market, saying that competition against companies like Duke Energy would result in lower prices, and more sustainable energy sources.
We hear from both sides of the argument, to discuss what the future of energy will look like, and what the pros and cons of a competitive energy market might be.
GUESTS
Randy Wheeless, communications manager, Duke Energy
David Boraks, environmental reporter, WFAE
Jim Warren, executive director, NC Warn
Peter Schwarz, economist professor, UNC Charlotte