Greenpeace flew the thermal airship A.E. Bates over Duke Energy coal-fired power plants, at the State Capitol Raleigh, near Duke headquarters in Charlotte and Wilmington. The flights called attention to Duke Energy’s plans to continue using coal, nuclear and other forms of dangerous energy at great public cost. Banners on the airship read “Duke: Don’t Raise Rates for Dirty Energy” and “Cleaner is Cheaper.”

At the start of the tour, Greenpeace released a report detailing how Duke Energy, newly merged with Progress Energy to become the largest energy supplier in the United States, can invest in wind, solar and energy efficiency while saving themselves and North Carolina rate payers billions of dollars over 20 years. The report is titled “Charting the Correction Course: A Clean Energy Pathway for Duke Energy.”