CARRBORO, N.C.— The Town of Carrboro, N.C. has chosen not to appeal a court’s February dismissal of its groundbreaking climate lawsuit against Duke Energy Corporation that was filed in December 2024.

The Town and its nonprofit supporters say the case is very strong and the court’s order did not challenge Carrboro’s allegations about Duke’s deception campaigns. Therefore, the Town is directing its focus toward NC Governor Josh Stein to rein in Duke Energy’s climate-wrecking behavior.

The lawsuit charged that Duke Energy’s top executives misled the public for decades about climate science and the health harms from the increased burning of coal and gas to generate electricity. The court ruled that this is a political issue to be decided by other branches of government.

However, Duke Energy’s influence over both political parties over many decades has caused regulators, past governors and legislators to repeatedly fail to rein in the massive corporate polluter. No branch of government is allowed to let Duke Energy deceive the public about the facts of climate change and fossil fuel use.

That’s why Carrboro is now urging Governor Josh Stein to finally break through Duke Energy’s deception and stop its huge expansion of dirty and dangerous power. The Council plans to vote on joining a formal NC WARN resolution to that effect at its Tuesday meeting.

This adds to the pressure from 61 scientists, nearly 300 businesses and organizations and thousands of individuals who have called for the governor’s leadership.

The Town and NC WARN are calling for Governor Stein to side with the climate scientists and the people of North Carolina – including those already harmed by Duke Energy leaders’ decades of deception.

About NC Warn

Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes. 

News Release from NC Warn, March 16, 2026; Feature Photo by Eelco Böhtlingk on Unsplash