Duke Energy anticipates carbon price

Speaking at Stanford University last week, Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers admitted that he factors carbon prices into every decision he makes regarding long-term investment.

Mr. Rogers was attending an energy policy conference when he spoke on the inevitability of carbon regulation in the US.

As the third largest electric company in the country, with 20 coal power plants emitting nearly 100 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, Duke Energy is proactively shifting towards more renewable electric generation to prepare for eventual emission restrictions.

The company has set an internal target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 by investing millions of dollars into clean energy projects.

Duke Energy will boast nearly 2,000 megawatts (MW) of solar and wind electricity generation by 2013.

Mr. Rogers also hit on the issue of a nation-wide carbon market, sharing his belief that this system would create an effective balance between government-mandated environmental goals and innovative solutions generated by the private sector.