Carolina Public Press: “Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley may have been another player laying the groundwork for Senate Bill 266 and other Duke-friendly legislation to succeed.”
New reporting is exposing DC insider and Big Oil Lobbyist Michael Whatley for spending more than a decade lobbying for utility companies including Duke Energy and “argu[ing] in favor of rate increases.”
Now, as Duke threatens further rate hikes on North Carolinians, Whatley – who has up to $445,000 in Duke Energy stock – has been completely silent. As his investments stand to see “boost[ed] profits,” Whatley is once again personally profiting at the expense of North Carolina families, who are already “stretched thin” by skyrocketing energy bills.
Carolina Public Press: Buying power. Do Duke’s Energy’s NC campaign donations fuel influence?
Sarah Michels | May 8, 2026
- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley may have been another player laying the groundwork for Senate Bill 266 and other Duke-friendly legislation to succeed.
- Before he became chair of the state Republican party in 2019, Whatley was executive vice president of Consumer Energy Alliance, an oil, gas and utility lobbying group with Duke Energy among its clients. CEA is operated by HBW Resources, Whatley’s lobbying firm.
- While a lobbyist for CEA, Whatley and his fellow lobbyists argued in favor of rate increases […] and asked the Utilities Commission to allow Duke Energy to pass along cleanup costs from a 2014 coal ash spill to customers.
- CEA had a registered lobbyist supporting utility issues in the state legislature throughout 2025, when Senate Bill 266 was being considered.
- While Whatley left CEA in 2019 for his political role, his family still owns between $163,000 and $445,000 in Duke Energy stock, according to his most recent financial disclosure.
- Ahead of his matchup against former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in November, critics have argued Whatley stands to profit from requested rate hikes.
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