Consumer Watchdog exposes Duke Energy’s ESG priorities over reliable power grid in new campaign.

Consumer Watchdog Exposes Duke‌ Energy’s ‍Priorities

A consumer‍ watchdog‌ unveiled‌ a⁤ new⁢ campaign Thursday⁤ to highlight one of the nation’s largest energy provider’s loyalties to Wall Street social, environmental and⁢ governance ‍standards ⁤(ESG) over a safe and reliable power grid.

The new⁣ campaign ​from Consumers’ Research, ‍an‍ educational non-profit, is exposing the corporate activism through a​ series of‍ digital‍ and ​billboard ads complete with a new website, RebukeDuke.com, modeled after ​Duke Energy’s own webpage.‍ The group ‌also opened‌ the initiative with a letter calling on the North Carolina Utilities Commission to ⁣reject corporate rate increases to pay for far-left activism. ​The company‌ has pledged ‍ $145 billion over the​ next decade to achieve ⁣“net-zero” emissions‍ power generation.

“As the nation’s oldest consumer protection organization, Consumers’ Research’s purpose is to educate consumers‍ on issues that impact ⁣them and amplify their voice in⁣ the marketplace.⁣ It ⁣is for ‍this reason that we implore the commission to put an‌ end ⁤to the abuse of North⁢ Carolina consumers by ⁤Duke Energy,” wrote the watchdog Executive Director Will Hild. “Duke’s⁣ operations‍ have become a laundry list of expensive boondoggles and distractions.”

Hild’s laundry​ list of boondoggles outlined in the letter range from ⁤“racist trainings and racial quotas” to “targeting children with transgender propaganda,” all paid for by “never-ending ⁤rate⁤ increases.”

“When they aren’t pushing double-digit rate increases onto customers, they​ are busy ⁤wasting their time and customers’⁢ money pushing political initiatives⁢ (some​ targeting children) and massive pay increases for their⁣ executive suite,” Hild wrote.

On Wednesday, the company struck an agreement with North Carolina officials that feature rate increases⁤ for residents ⁣across ⁣the state.

Hawaiian Nightmare

In Hawaii, the entire town of Lahaina was reduced to ash and rubble ⁢after hurricane​ winds are suspected to have brought down ​power lines ⁢run by ​Hawaiian Electric, sparking flames. The company now faces multiple lawsuits following⁤ the​ fires that caused upwards of $6 billion in⁣ damage. At ‌least one suit alleges the⁤ utility servicing 95 percent​ of residents failed to de-energize power lines ahead of high-risk conditions.

According to The New York Times, the Hawaiian Islands ‌had been warned about the potential for ⁣apocalyptic⁣ wildfires for years. A report from⁤ 2020 gave West⁢ Maui, in ⁤particular, where⁢ this month’s fires⁣ killed at least 115 people, ⁣the highest likelihood⁢ of wildfires breaking out.

“What’s more, the report said that West Maui had the county’s second-highest rate of‍ households ⁤without a​ vehicle — almost 7 percent — and the highest density⁣ of multiunit housing in the county —‍ almost 40 percent,” read ‌The Times. “The ​report identified 50 strategies for the county ‍to take to ⁢lessen the impact of natural hazards. For example, one of them called ⁣for the ⁤county to ‘establish an ​alternative ‌route to and from​ West Maui for use during disasters.’”

Despite the prophetic report, the world’s largest warning ⁤sirens⁣ remained silent as the‌ blaze forced⁤ residents to risk drowning in the Pacific as Lahaina burned.​ The Associated Press reported Wednesday that⁣ barricaded​ road closures also kept ‍many residents​ trapped⁤ in the flames.

‘Fire In Paradise’

The same alleged ‍misconduct​ by a‍ corporate utility giant is to blame for California’s 2018 Camp Fire ⁤that ​ultimately became the⁤ subject of documentaries on both Netflix and Frontline PBS. Each titled “Fire In Paradise,” the ⁣pair of films chronicle the destruction of the entire town of Paradise from the⁣ blaze that ⁢killed ​85 people.

Investigators​ attributed the flames to faulty equipment​ run⁢ by Pacific⁣ Gas & Electric (PG&E), a San Francisco-based utility. In 2020, the company pled guilty to ‌84 counts of involuntary‌ manslaughter and was ​forced to pay ⁢a $3.5 million fine⁣ over the devastation.

PG&E has also pledged a ​ commitment to “net-zero” emissions while the state also remains distracted from proper wildfire resilience efforts. In⁤ 2019, Democratic Gov. ‌Gavin Newsom cut ⁢ California’s budget for wildfire prevention ⁢and resource management by 40 percent.