reporting by the Orlando Sun Sentinel revealed that Duke Energy, FPL (Nextera Energy), and TECO Energy put forth more than $3 million to promote "ghost" spoiler candidates in key Florida legislature races. The scheme involved former senator Frank Artiles and was effective in costing the Democrats at least one election. In January 2021, Duke Energy agreed to a settlement, which the company proposed, to absorb $1.1 billion worth of coal-ash pond closure and cleanup costs, in North Carolina, between 2015 and 2030. The parties involved also waived all rights to challenge the “reasonableness and prudence” of Duke Energy’s coal ash management practices and costs before March 2020. Duke estimates the costs to be between $8 and $9 billion, the settlement reduces the cost on the ratepayer by 60%. In August 2021, Indiana city officials from Bloomington, Carmel, and West Lafayette, and other lawmakers sent a letter to Duke Energy deploring its progress towards renewables and asking it to stop overcharging low-income homes for electricity. December 2022 rolling blackouts In December 2022, a major winter storm impacted much of the United States. On December 24, 2022, Christmas Eve, Duke Energy implemented rolling blackouts for the first time in their history, due to unprecedented energy demand. The rolling blackouts came without warning and lasted hours. In addition to facility failures, Duke reported failures related to the software that regulated the controlled blackouts. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission initiated an investigation in response to the blackouts. See also 2005 Atlantic Power Outage Harlan County USA—1976 Academy Award-winning documentary film covering the efforts of 180 coal miners on strike against the Duke Power Company in Harlan County, Kentucky, in 1973. Fixed bill Holiday Junction References External links Spectra Energy Union Gas Transcript of Oral Arguments before the Supreme Court, Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy Corp. (05-848) Electric power companies of the United States Hydroelectric power companies of the United States Natural gas companies of the United States Nuclear power companies of the United States Companies based in Charlotte, North Carolina Non-renewable resource companies established in 1904 Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange Companies in the Dow Jones Utility Average