Duke Energy: Blowing the Minds of the Talking Heads

Why do the talking heads on radio & TV love scandals like Swifthack? It allows them to conveniently cram clean energy & climate issues into pre-fabricated black & white storylines. Liberals vs. conservatives! Treehuggers vs. corporations!

So what happens when the call to action comes from not just a corporation, but from America’s third-largest electric utility?

At a White House meeting with President Obama today, Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers said: “Passing climate change legislation will give us the ‘rules of the road’ needed to invest in clean energy to put more people to work.”

Rogers, head of America’s third-largest electric utility, joined Obama and leaders from the U.S. energy, environment and labor sectors to discuss the role of climate change legislation in stimulating new energy technologies and jobs.

“This country needs major investments in new energy technologies, including clean coal, advanced nuclear, wind, solar, smart grid and energy efficiency,” Rogers said. “The sooner we pass climate change legislation, the more rapidly Duke Energy and other electric utilities can make these investments and create jobs.”

You might remember Duke Energy dropped out of ACCCE, a coal lobbying group, over its refusal to negotiate clean energy & climate legislation. Duke has also joined the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of businesses pushing for climate action now.

Climate action isn’t a matter of left or right — it’s a matter of right & wrong. Tell your senators we need solutions, not more polluter-pushed scams.