The Terrible Combined With the Good
Key takeaways
- The Ratepayer Protection Act, making its way through the North Carolina legislature, conjoins two opposing ideas.
- On one side, the bill would rein in data centers and their ravenous power consumption, and shield North Carolinians from paying higher electric bills as a result of data centers’ operations.
- On the other, the measure would liberate Duke Energy from limits on fossil fuel, upending key aspects of state energy policy and, in some respects, reversing nearly 20 years of painstaking work on climate change.
Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.
The Terrible Combined With the Good Go behind the scenes with executive editor Vernon Loeb and North Carolina reporter Lisa Sorg as they explain how a new N.C. ratepayer bill would put the brakes on data centers while incentivizing the use of fossil fuels. By Lisa Sorg June 7, 2026 Share This Video Past Episodes The Okefenokee’s Bid for International Recognition What to Expect as El Niño Approaches $370 Million Payout Share This Video Most Popular An Iowa Town Spent $800,000 on a New Well. It Pumps Undrinkable Water. Colorado River Faces ‘Devastating Consequences’ If Another Dry Winter Lands, Experts Warn Dolphins, Sharks, Turtles and Workers Are All Victims of Unregulated Squid Fleets ICN Sunday Morning Newsletter Go behind the scenes with executive editor Vernon Loeb and ICN reporters as they discuss one of the week’s top stories.
The Ratepayer Protection Act, making its way through the North Carolina legislature, conjoins two opposing ideas.
On one side, the bill would rein in data centers and their ravenous power consumption, and shield North Carolinians from paying higher electric bills as a result of data centers’ operations.