skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Despite Heat Wave, Utility Shutoffs Loom for 1 Million in NC

play audio
Play

Wednesday, July 29, 2020   

RALEIGH, N.C. -- As temperatures soar above 100 degrees in some regions, more than 1 million North Carolina households could lose access to air conditioning or running water when the state's ban on utility shutoffs expires Saturday.

Rory McIlmoil, senior energy analyst at Appalachian Voices, said Gov. Roy Cooper sent a letter to utilities on July 17, stating he would not extend the moratorium that's been in place under an executive order since May.

"And that the only additional protection that would be in place would be a requirement that utilities offer a minimum of six months for customers to pay any unpaid debt that they had accrued during the moratorium," McIlmoil explained.

In the past three months, the North Carolina Division of Public Health reported, more than 1,200 residents with heat-related illness have been rushed to hospital emergency rooms. The elderly, low-income households and people with pre-existing conditions are the most vulnerable to heat-related health problems.

McIlmoil said prior to the pandemic, nearly 40% of North Carolinians qualified for federal home energy-assistance programs, and he believes COVID-19 has exposed a long-standing problem in the state over water, electric and gas bills that aren't affordable. He said residents worried about their bills should contact their utility companies now.

"To set up a payment plan that can meet their needs; and just really, they need to be pushing their utilities and the governor to offer a more flexible, long-term payment plan where, even with a debt repayment charge, it doesn't increase their future bill by 10%," McIlmoil said. "Something like that would at least smooth out the impact for folks."

Joel Porter, policy manager at Clean Air Carolina added the coronavirus has underscored the need to integrate more renewable energy sources into the state's grid.

"If we have cleaner sources of energy, more renewable resources of energy, then you're not going to have people struggling to pay their bills like they are now," Porter said.

Advocacy groups across the state are urging federal lawmakers to pass a national shutoff moratorium as part of the next COVID-19 relief package.

Disclosure: Clean Air Carolina contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, Environment and Environmental Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Social Issues

play sound

Like polling from other battleground states, the race for the White House remains close in Wisconsin. But fresh numbers out this week show some …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021