TO THE EDITOR:
Today young people in North Carolina, including myself, delivered more than 150,000 petition signatures demanding that Duke Energy cut ties and stop funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC is not only responsible for drafting model state laws attacking renewable energy programs and climate policies, it also intentionally crafts and supports voter ID bills and other legislation designed to suppress people from voting and participating in our democracy — including people like us, the students of UNC who make up a large youth contingent that needs its voice heard on policies that will affect our future.
Duke Energy, the energy utility that provides a large chunk of UNC’s electricity, has repeatedly stated concern about climate change, yet is participating in ALEC’s energy, environment and agriculture task force, which includes notorious climate skeptics like the Heartland Institute and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity.
Duke Energy is already feeling the pressure. Even though it is a top corporate supporter of the Democratic National Convention, its support of ALEC is directly in opposition to many of the policies being discussed at the convention.
If Duke Energy wants to continue to be UNC’s largest energy utility in good faith, it needs to cut its ties with ALEC.
Tait Chandler ’15
Global Studies
Environmental Studies
