As North Carolina families pay sky high energy bills and speak out against proposed rate increases, Duke Energy Lobbyist and investor Michael Whatley is dodging every question on Duke Energy’s rate hikes, which would spike his stock and benefit his bottom line. 

Meanwhile, North Carolinians are paying the price:

WRAL: “‘My energy bill last month was $400-plus for one month,’ McNeill said. ‘That’s groceries for the week. That’s gas for the week. I have kids in college and one going back to high school. It’s impacted a lot.’”

N&O: “As temperatures in the Triangle soar, Duke Energy customers are noticing higher bills. On social media, customers claim they’re not using more energy, or that they’re trying to use less. But they still say that bills are getting higher each month, and are more expensive than this time last year.”

WCNC: “North Carolina regulators are weighing Duke Energy’s rate-hike requests that could raise power bills for customers across the state.”

Whatley has up to $445,000 invested in Duke Energy and would stand to see “boost[ed] profits” from a rate hike. Reporting has also exposed Whatley for “spen[ding] more than a decade lobbying for utility companies, including Duke Energy, and arguing in favor of rate increases.”

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