COLUMBIA, S.C.
The S.C. Public Service Commission has rejected Duke Energy Corp.'s efficiency plan known as "Save-a-Watt," while regulators in North Carolina gave a partial nod yesterday to the controversial proposal.
The plan would encourage customers to lower their consumption through conservation measures, such as adding insulation, but the company would be compensated for lower energy use by increasing energy bills.
"In North Carolina, certainly we would have preferred an outright approval of our order, but we're pleased with the direction that the North Carolina Commission has taken," said, Keith Trent, chief strategy, policy and regulatory officer for Duke.
The N.C. Utilities Commission approved the portion of Duke's plan that bolsters energy-saving measures but not the utility's plan to offset lower energy use by charging more.
In its ruling this week, the South Carolina commission cited several concerns over the proposal including the potential for the utility company to make "windfall" profits and a lack of transparency to customers.
Under Save-a-Watt, Duke would be allowed to add an average of 98 cents a month to the bills of customers in North Carolina and South Carolina.
It would create incentives and rebates to encourage customers to save electricity by sealing doors and windows, purchasing fluorescent light bulbs or buying energy-efficient appliances.
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