Rebuttal witnesses for Duke Energy Carolinas argued on financial and regulatory grounds Tuesday against a proposal to make the company pay half of its $490 million coal-ash cleanup costs.
That meant much of the afternoon session of the hearing on Duke’s requested rate hike was held in closed session. The N.C. Utilities Commission closed the session as attorneys for the Public Staff challenged the propriety of spending on specific projects involved in cleaning up coal-ash operations.
Before the…