Greenpeace protesters arrested at NC demonstration

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Six Greenpeace demonstrators have been
arrested after hanging a banner in front of the Duke Energy
building in Charlotte protesting rate increases for the utility’s
customers.

The demonstrators hung a sign between two 20-foot-tall tripods
that said “No Dirty Rate Hikes.”
Last month, the state Utilities Commission approved an overall
increase of 7 percent for the company’s nearly 2 million North
Carolina customers.

Charlotte police say the six demonstrators face a range of
misdemeanor charges. The names of the protesters were not
immediately available, but Greenpeace says all six are from North
Carolina.

Duke Energy says the rate increases approved last month will go
toward $5 billion in new construction to replace older, dirtier
power plants over the next three years.