THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28,2016 3
E-MAILS
Continued from 1
alongside the boat.
Six of the e-mails were
sent in 2015 — four of them
in the month of August. At
that time large numbers of
people started packing coun
ty commission meetings to
voice opposition to the Apex
project known as Timbermill
Wind. Perhaps as a result, in
October 2015 the county im
posed a moratorium on ap
proving any new wind proj
ect until the county planning
board had a chance to re
view the requirements. The
Apex project was the only
new one being considered
and at that point and Apex
hadn’t submitted an actual
application for a Conditional
Use Permit (CUP at that time
so there was no project for
the commission to actually
vote on.
Two of the e-mails were
sent this year, one in January
- a month before the county
considered changes to the
ordinance. The last was sent
in June — after Apex sub
mitted the CUP application.
It was directed to Sen. Bill
Cook, a Republican from
PEELER
Continued from 1
Nelson and Kyle Jones.
The emails were brought
to the board’s attention by
Henry Campen, the lead at
torney for Apex. He said they
showed Peeler could not
make an. objective decision
on Apex’s permit request,
even though that’s what
Peeler agreed to do during
the board’s first quasi-judi-
cial hearing on the request.
Campen asked the Perqui
mans Board of Commission
ers to recuse Peeler from the
permitting decision.
Cole asked the other com
missioners if they wanted
to comment on the request
from Campen. After about
two minutes of silence, Cole
said she’d start.
Cole said while it was pos
sible for Peeler to separate
his legislative role from his
role as an impartial decider
in the permit request, Peeler
has consistently fought wind
development, even the Des
ert Wind project which the
board of commissioners had
already approved.
“He took a position that
he wanted to do anything he
could do to stop the project,”
Cole said.
Leigh said she was both
ered by the email in which
Peeler said, “I will admit now
and in the future I will oppose
these things on their health
and welfare impacts.”
Muzzulin pointed out that
all six commissioners attend
ed a workshop in May where
lawyers/explained the quasi
judicial hearing process and
were advised not to have
contact with anyone involved
in matters being considered
at those hearings.
Jones said Peeler’s emails
help erode the public’s trust
in elected officials and the
email to Sen. Cook was par
ticularly troubling.
“It was a poor decision to
do that,” Jones said.
$ For his part, Peeler re
sponded that he could be ob
jective on the Apex request
when he was asked if he could
be by Nelson. Peeler pointed
out that, while he’s opposed
to solar projects because he
believes they don’t really fit
in a rural area, he did vote for
Beaufort County.
In May Cook backed a bill
in the General Assembly that
would put serious limits on
any new wind or solar proj
ects in the state. It would
require a one and a half mile
buffer (7,920 feet) between
wind and solar projects and
any neighboring property
line. The Perquimans ordi
nance requires a setback of
two and half times the maxi
mum blade height, or 1,500
feet from nearest homes. In
one e-mail Peeler pushed
for a two-kilometer setback
(6,560 feet).
Critics point out that the
state allows hazardous ma
terials facilities as close as
200 feet away. Swine waste
lagoons can be 500 feet from
a property line.
Cook’s bill passed the Sen
ate but never got the full vote
in the House. But in June
Peeler wrote the senator ask
ing him to separate the two
issues — wind and solar.
“I do realize you are work
ing to make our state better,”
Peeler wrote. “A tough job
considering the rationale
the opposition tends to use
as their basis. Anything a
Republican does is bad and
needs to be fought. “I see
one of the four projects that
have come before the board
during his tenure as a com
missioner.
“I couldn’t say no to it be
cause the evidence said I had
to say, ‘yes,” he said.
Following the vote, Peeler
left his seat on the stage at the
historic Perquimans County
Courthouse where the board
was meeting and took a seat
in the audience.
Leary Winslow, one of
National
Multiple Sclerosis
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STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
UTILITIES COMMISSION
RALEIGH
DOCKET NO. E-22, SUB 535
BEFORE THE NORTH CAROLINA UTILITIES COMMISSION
In the Matter of Application of Virginia Electric and Power Company,
d/b/a Dominion North Carolina Power for Approval of Renewable
Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard Cost Rider
Pursuant to G.S. 62-133.8 and Commission Rule R8-67 PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the North Carolina Utilities Commission has scheduled a public hearing in the annual Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) cost recovery application and compliance report filed by Virginia Electric and Power Company, d/b/a Dominion North
Carolina Power (DNCP), in the above-captioned docket. The public hearing has been scheduled to begin immediately following the hearings in Docket Nos.
E-22, Subs 534 and 536, which are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m., on Monday, November 7, 2016, in Commission Hearing Room 2115, Dobbs Building,
430 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. This proceeding is being held pursuant to G.S. 62-133.8 and Commission Rule R8-67 to consider
DNCP’s application for approval of REPS cost recovery and compliance with the REPS requirements during the 2015 calendar year. Public witness testimo
ny will be received in accordance with Commission Rule Rl-21(g).
On August 25, 2016, DNCP filed direct testimony and exhibits in support of its application for REPS cost recovery and 2015 REPS compliance report.
By its application, DNCP proposes to implement the following total REPS rates, including regulatory fee, effective for service rendered on and after January
1, 2017: a $0.88 charge per month for residential customers; a $3.87 charge per month for commercial customers; and a $25.82 charge per month for indus
trial customers.
The Public Staff is authorized by statute to represent consumers in proceedings before the Commission. Written statements to the Public Staff should
include any information that the writers wish to be considered by the Public Staff in its investigation of the matter. Such statements should be addressed to
Mr. Christopher J. Ayers, Executive Director, Public Staff 4326 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4300.
The Attorney General is also authorized by statute to represent consumers in proceedings before the Commission. Statements to the Attorney General
should be addressed to The Honorable Roy Cooper, Attorney General, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27699-9001.
Written statements are not evidence unless persons appear at a public hearing and testify concerning the information contained in their written statements.
Any person desiring to intervene in the proceeding as a formal party of record should file a petition under North Carolina Utilities Commission Rules
RI-5 and RI-19 on or before Monday, October 24, 2016. Such petitions should be filed with the Chief Clerk of the North Carolina Utilities Commission,
4325 Mail Service Center. Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4300. The direct testimony and exhibits of expert witnesses to be presented by interveners should
also be filed with the Commission on or before Monday, October 24, 2016.
ISSUED BY ORDER OF THE COMMISSION.
This the 31st day of August, 2016. NORTH CAROLINA UTILITIES COMMISSION
Janice H. Fulmore, Deputy Clerk
people not willing to fight
against solar to the same de
gree as wind,” Peeler wrote.
He said government should
be proactive in protecting the
health, safety and welfare of
citizens and praised Cook for
his stance.
“My board failed that
thinking. I see where you
are being proactive. The left
wants these things in the
state and because they are
not living under the shadows
of these turbines, see no rea
son to fret over them.
“I ask that you divide the
opposition so we may con
quer them. By including both
solar and wind as renewables
that the left is galvanized to
oppose any change because
they feel they are being at
tacked on one of their core
principles.
“By lumping together wind
and solar under renewables,
it enables the left to rally be
hind their ‘go green’ banner.
Keep them separate,” Peeler
advised Cook. “To me wind
is the 15-foot alligator in my
14-foot boat trying to eat me
while solar is the 6-foot-alli-
gator swimming in the water
near the boat waiting for the
fallout.”
In one e-mail in August
the group that is fighting the
Apex project, was critical of
Wednesday’s decision.
“Commissioners have then-
mind made up,” Winslow
said. “I’ve been told this for
the past 10 months but it was
ever so prevalent last night.
The disrespect and bias from
the chair was completely rm-
professional. It has become
extremely obvious she has
an immovable bias in favor of
the Timbermill project.
2015 admits being worried
about getting too involved
with wind power oppo
nents.
“I was originally pen
ning that for Tommy,
but then realized I might
be too in-depth with my
analysis,’’Peeler wrote. The
e-mail provided by Apex
did not include whom that
e-mail was sent to. Howev
er Peeler said he wanted to
“show folks what the other
side might be using as then-
scientific documentation or
their playbook.
“The other thing I am
worried about is getting so
involved in the discussion
that I become a liability to
the cause due to conflict
of interest. I could be con
sidered highly biased and
my fellow board members
would use that against those
speaking up if they perceive
it is me driving this move
ment. Legally, I am not in a
conflict of interest, but the
perception is what my fel
low board members might
key upon. I do not want to
give my fellow board mem
bers the chance to clump
the people into one voice. I
PERQUIMANS COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
THURSDAY,
OCTOBER 13
at the
Perquimans
Rec Center
Expo Noon - 4 PM
Exhibitors &
Entertainment $1
Victory Lap 5-7 PM
Chef Challenge $10
want each person to be an
independent individual that
the body politic is willing to
say no to.”
In the same month Peel
er talks of the “other side”
is thinking is key.
“To me, knowing what
‘the other side’ is using or
thinking is important to
formulating a strategy. This
paper found here (he lists
a web site) is a strong can
didate for the other side’s
playbook.”
In another email Peeler
referred to “folks who want
turbines in the county” as
the “other side.”
In another e-mail Peeler
said he did not want to ap
pear as helping opponents.
He wrote “please do not
say I said this to your group
and please do not send this
e-mail to anyone as it might
be construed as a conflict
of interest that I am work
ing to assist your group
instead of being neutral in
the process, but I would en
courage you to suggest to
every person that speaks to
have written comments as
well to be presented to the
board.”
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i-gAOm THE WAV
Reunion
planned
From Staff Reports
A reunion for everybody
who graduated from Perqui
mans County High School in
the 1980s is planned for Oct.
8 at Nixon’s Catering in Eden
ton.
Potentially that could at
tract more than 1,000 people.
Michael Hurdle, a member of
the Class of 1981 said there
were 113 people walk across
the stage when he graduated.
He said typically people
who live within a 30 mile area
don’t attend in large num
bers.
The event will be held
from 6-11 p.m. at Nixon’s Ca
tering in Edenton. The social
hour runs from 6 p.m. until 7
p.m. with dinner from 7 p.m.
until 8 p.m. and dancing from
8 p.m. until 11 p.m.
The cost is $40 per person.
For more information con
tact Hurdle, 455 Hurdletown
Road or call 312-6252.
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