Progress ing to Higher Rates with Duke

Who could have seen this coming?  Progress Energy and Duke Energy are merging, and this is supposed to bring savings to consumers, and keep jobs in North Carolina.  Well, here we have their first new request for a rate hike since the "merger", and we already know they plan layoffs as the merger progresses.  At least there is some modernization happening, switching from coal to natural gas, for instance, but that will ultimately save the company money too.  They might quit the coal, but they're saving the shaft for us citizens/consumers of literal monopolized power.  It's time to re-think how we deal with the electric grid and the monopolies that exist in the energy industry, as a first step in a long term solution for our energy challenges.