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Agencies are not protecting public’s interest
Duke’s generation in the Duke Energy Nantahala Area is 400 million kilowatts per year; this generation is equal to about 40 percent of the total consumption in the Nantahala area, according to Duke Energy.
Retail customers pay a little over $0.075 per kilowatt hour of use. The 400 million kilowatts at 7.6 cents is equal to $30 million per year gross revenue that Duke collects for the use of the rivers in its Nantahala Area. Its total gross revenue, however, is more in the range of $75 million: divide the $30 million by the percent of consumption (40), and if all usage is charged at the retail rate, then the total is $75 million, according to figures from the N.C. Utilities Commission and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and simple arithmetic.
Now, if as expected, Duke is granted a 40-year license it will extract $3 billion (40 years times $75 million per year equals $3 billion) from the Nantahala Area and in return will have donated back over the same 40 years a grand total of $8.5 million. This would mean that Duke’s rental rate on the river waters would be less than 1 percent – in fact it would be 0.28333 percent. The U.S. Postal Service normally pays about 4 percent of value for leases; McDonald’s usually pays about 7 percent of their gross sales for leases.
In light of these figures, who appears more greedy – Jackson County or Duke Power.
And more than just the dollars, almost none of what Duke has agreed to spend goes to the benefit of the general public or to the benefit of the environment. Nearly all of the recreation money Duke has obligated to spend goes to kayakers and rafters; and a grand total of $200,000 is to be divided by five counties over the 40 years for soil and water conservation.
And now you know why we spent the last six years fighting Duke.
We are not mad at Duke Energy; they were just looking out for themselves. We are mad at the government agencies that are supposed to look out for the public’s interests, including the environment. Now the U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say that a fish ladder at the Bryson project will damage the fishery the Cherokee have in the Oconaluftee River, but they have ignored our arguments that the exact same thing will happen to the fishery the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has established above the Dillsboro Dam if the dam is removed.
Bill Lyons
Cullowhee
(Editor’s Note: In addition to the items Lyons listed, the Settlement Agreement Duke has signed also would transfer a large tract adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway to the U.S. Forest Service, and add fishing trails, primitive camping sites, handicap-access areas, rest rooms and wildlife-viewing platforms in public access areas. It would also pay Jackson County a lump sum of $350,000 for Andrews Park improvements or greenways.)
Proposed park has broad support
To the Editor:
Your coverage of the Bridge Park Project last week was appreciated by those involved, but we feel that it was incomplete.
Ours is a community effort to build a new park for Sylva. In addition to the “unofficial” supporters that you mentioned, we have the official support of several organizations in Jackson County. The first meeting of the project was attended by representatives of the Sylva Town Board, Jackson County Farmer’s Market, Downtown Sylva Association, Greenway Commission, Western Carolina University, local business owners and the community at large.
The collaborative nature of this project is what makes it exciting and feasible.
Sarah Graham
Sylva
Bridge Park plan is good idea
To the Editor:
Recently I read about the Bridge Park Project and saw the initial drawing of the site. I think this project would be great for our community and would provide a much-needed transition from Main Street Sylva to Poteet Park.
The plan would link well with the newly-approved bridge and would further enhance the beauty of our town. The creation of a covered pavilion for outdoor events would open the door to many activities for all residents. Also, the improvement of the parking area would be great for all of downtown, especially the weekly farmers’ market.
I believe this project would further Sylva’s downtown transformation while benefiting all residents of our community, and I urge everyone to support this important community project in any way possible.
Larissa Miller
Sylva
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