Environmental Groups Call for End to Duke Energy’s Toxic Influence in North Carolina Politics

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - A coalition of environmental groups across North Carolina is calling on all candidates running for local, state and federal office to pledge to reject money and gifts from Duke Energy, Dominion Energy and their affiliates.

The No Toxic Money Pledge asks candidates to reject money and gifts from Duke Energy, Dominion Energy and their affiliates, including political action committees, lobbyists and executives. In addition, signing the pledge indicates support for a moratorium on all of Duke and Dominion’s new fossil fuel infrastructure projects.

“Duke and Dominion are subverting our democracy by spending millions to rig the system that is supposed to regulate them,” said Jodi Lasseter, Energy Justice Campaigner with Friends of the Earth Action. “This pledge is about creating greater accountability in North Carolina politics. Now voters can know which candidates have the courage to reject electric monopoly money and instead protect our communities, our environment and the climate.”  

Duke Energy and Dominion Energy continue to block progress towards meaningful climate solutions. Refusing Duke and Dominion’s contributions and supporting the moratorium helps free politicians to take bolder stances for real climate action.

“For too long, dinosaur utilities like Duke and Dominion have financed politicians and regulators to support their dirty fossil fuel agenda,” said Jean Su with the Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund. “In this climate emergency, we need to kick out dirty utility polluters from politics and urgently usher in the clean energy transition.”

“Many eastern North Carolinians, including my family, are still displaced after extensive flooding from Hurricane Florence,” said Krissy Kasserman, Food & Water Action Organizing Manager and Pender County resident. “For far too long, corporate polluters have called the shots in North Carolina and blocked progress on climate change. With climate disasters intensifying, we clearly cannot wait.”

"We are in a climate emergency now," said Karen Bearden, 350 Triangle Coordinator. "We need leaders who support a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects and. a just transition to 100% renewable energy. The urgency of the climate crisis requires nothing less.”

The No Toxic Money Pledge coalition includes the following groups: Friends of the Earth Action, Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Sunrise North Carolina, Red Tailed Hawk Collective, 350 Triangle and Food & Water Action.

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Friends of the Earth Action and its associated PAC focuses on the systemic causes of injustice and environmental degradation in society. Through organizing, political action and campaigning, we pressure elected officials to do what is necessary to defend all people and preserve our environment.

The Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for legislation and legislators that will advance a progressive environmental agenda. The Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) affiliate of the Center for Biological Diversity, but these organizations’ names are not interchangeable.