Proposed Cliffside Project

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Environmental Defense
Southern Environmental Law Center
Completed June 2007

Synapse was asked to evaluate the need for and the economics of Duke Energy Carolinas’ (“Duke” or “the Company”) Cliffside Project consisting of two 800 MW coal-fired generating units. Synapse’s testimony demonstrated that Duke had not adequately considered the potential for federal greenhouse gas regulations, had not adequately considered energy efficiency and renewable technologies as alternatives to the proposed 800 MW coal-fired plants, and had not shown a need for the generating facilities. Synapse also testified that the Company’s planning methodology was flawed and, therefore, that the modeling analyses presented by Duke did not show that the proposed plants were the lowest cost option. On the basis of this testimony Synapse recommended that the North Carolina Utilities Commission not grant a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the proposed Cliffside Project.  The Commission agreed, in part, and only granted a Certificate for one of the two proposed coal-fired units.