Archived Outdoors

Environmental group wants to duke it out with energy company

Greenpeace activists, in what promises to be a long, high-profile campaign against Duke Energy for perceived environmental wrongs, launched the first salvo last week by unfurling a banner 400 feet above the ground on a Progress Energy smoke stack reading “Duke Energy: The climate needs real Progress.”

Duke and Progress are in merger mode, which could make Duke the biggest utility in the country.

The activists pointed to the Asheville-located Progress Energy coal fired power plant’s use of mountain top removal coal, the most destructive form of mining, and that the plant’s coal ash ponds are designated as ‘high hazard’ by the EPA, meaning they would be likely to kill people should they spill.

“It’s past time to send a message to Duke and Progress that they can’t continue to pollute the air, poison the water, destroy mountains and cause climate change just to make a profit,” said Climate Campaigner and Activist Robert Gardner.

Sixteen activists were arrested.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.