It is with extreme excitement that I read the latest Duke Energy admission of

abandonment of the proposed Western Carolina Modernization Project. No transmission lines, no substation, no oversized gas-powered plant!

I want to thank all of you in the county who were actively involved in this success. It is amazing to think that regular citizens can have this kind of impact on the largest power company in the nation. I know there were a lot of people who wrote letters, demonstrated and made phone calls. And that was what determined the outcome- citizen activism. Don’t ever think that you don’t have that power.

And for those of you who could not participate, please thank your neighbors who did. Thank them for spending endless hours emailing, writing letters, calling congressmen, attending meetings, demonstrating, handing out fliers and putting up signs. You owe them a lot. Make sure they know how grateful you are.

We have dodged a bullet this time. If Duke decides in the future to further damage our environment, I hope everyone remembers this victory and will be involved in stopping them again.
Again, thanks to everyone involved.

Mill Spring, N.C.