Energy & Science
Duke’s Emission-Free Path Doesn’t Include Quitting Fossil Fuel
- Utility owner’s climate report sees continued role for gas
- Batteries still expensive, and will take time to scale up
Emissions rise from the Duke Energy Corp. coal-fired Asheville Power Plant in Arden, North Carolina, in 2018.
Photographer: Charles Mostoller/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Duke Energy Corp. sees a way to virtually eliminate its global warming emissions in 30 years while continuing to use natural gas.
The utility giant’s latest climate report, released Tuesday, argues that gas will remain a cheaper choice than batteries for backing up renewable power and closing coal plants. Even though it produces fewer emissions than coal, natural gas has increasingly come under fire from environmentalists, who want its use phased out as quickly as possible.