A North Carolina energy regulator has been blocked by his colleagues from voting on Duke Energy’s long-term resource plan.
The reason: Donald van der Vaart skipped nearly two weeks of hearings on the utility’s plan to build more power plants and cut carbon emissions. The pro-coal commissioner and former Trump administration official is on vacation.
“The commissioner is allowed to participate in the decision-making if none of the parties object. There were objections,” Chair William Brawley said Wednesday morning. “It only requires one, so commissioner van der Vaart will not be participating in the decision-making.”
The decision came after numerous clean energy, business and consumer advocate groups objected to van der Vaart participating in the North Carolina Utilities Commission’s decision-making given his absence, including the Corporate Energy Buyers Association and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association.
