duke energy corp (D2MN) Snapshot

The Southern Environmental Law Center has followed through with its threat and sued Duke Energy, claiming the utility polluted Mountain Island Lake. The suit, filed in federal court on behalf of Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, announced that Duke discharged toxic metals and other pollutants into the lake at its Riverbend Steam Station, a coal-fired plant that the utility shut down April 1. The Southern Environmental Law Center had filed notice in late March that it planned to sue Duke. The SELC and Catawba Riverkeeper claim Duke Energy has stored coal ash from the Riverbend plant in two lagoons, and that water from those lagoons is leaking into the Catawba River and Mountain Island Lake. They reported that the coal ash contains known carcinogens that can damage the central nervous system. Duke Energy shut down the Riverbend plant April 1, but Catawba Riverkeeper officials say they want the company to clean the basins soon. The SELC and Catawba Riverkeeper also have asked a Mecklenburg County judge to allow them to join the state suit against Duke Energy, announced that they want to ensure that any enforcement action is fully prosecuted at the state level. In the federal suit, Catawba Riverkeeper claims the ash lagoons are leaking streams of contaminated water into four ditches that Duke Energy built. The foundation claims the ditches take the water into the lake, at a rate of 5 gallons per second. Catawba Riverkeeper also claims Duke Energy's state permit does not allow the water to drain into the lake. The suit demands that Duke Energy stop the alleged drainage into the lake and move the materials in the lagoons to another site.

Duke Energy's Edwardsport Generating Station has begun commercial operation. Located in Knox County, Ind., near Vincennes, the 618-megawatt advanced technology coal gasification plant is one of the world's cleanest coal-fired power generating facilities. The plant uses advanced technology to gasify coal, strip out pollutants, and then burn that cleaner gas to produce electricity. The technology substantially reduces the environmental impact of burning coal to produce electric power. Edwardsport completed the necessary steps to be declared commercial on June 7, 2013. Edwardsport will: Produce 10 times as much power as the former plant at Edwardsport, yet with about 70% fewer emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulates combined. Use excess steam that would normally be wasted to power a second turbine and increase plant efficiency and output. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt-hour by nearly half compared to the plant it replaces. Generate marketable byproducts. The plant will produce sulfur and slag for agricultural and construction materials. Any revenues from marketable byproducts will go to customers. Use less water than a conventional coal-fired plant. Duke Energy Indiana's operations provide approximately 6,900 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 790,000 customers.

Duke Energy Corporation Presents at 2013 RBC Capital Markets' Global Energy & Power Conference, Jun-04-2013 10:30 AM. Venue: Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park Hotel, New York, New York, United States. Speakers: Cari Boyce, Vice President, Environmental & Energy Policy, Lloyd M. Yates, Executive Vice President of Regulated Utilities, Ray Daniels, Senior Vice President, Operations.