Duke Energy To Retire Coal Fired Asheville Plant

Duke Energy has announced plans  to retire its Asheville coal -fired electric generating plant.  A new natural gas fired plant will be built on the site.  Duke hopes to have the new facility on line by late 2019.    The announcement was made in the Administration Building at the facility off Long Shoals Road.  Duke executives including former U.S. Representative Heath Shuler,  North Carolina State Senator Tom Apodaca, Asheville Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kit Cramer, Buncombe County Commission Chairman David Gantt, and C0unty Manager David Gantt, as well as other community leaders were on hand for the announcement.  Environmentalists have long called for shutting the coal fired plant down and removing toxic coal ash from the area.  David Hurand has more on Duke's decision to end the use of coal at the plant.