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Supreme Court upholds Duke Energy rate increase

Duke Energy has won its latest round in its ongoing battle with Attorney General Roy Cooper over rate increases.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Duke Energy has won its latest round in its ongoing battle with Attorney General Roy Cooper over rate increases.

The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday upheld the decision of the state Utilities Commission to grant Duke a 7.2 percent rate increase in 2012.

Cooper's office challenged the increase two years ago, and the Supreme Court struck it down last year, ruling that the commission didn't properly weigh the impact of the higher electric rates on consumers.

After that ruling, the commission again approved the increase, and Cooper challenged it for a second time.

The court ruled this time around, however, that the commission did consider "the impact of changing economic conditions on customers."

Cooper also has appealed other rate increases the Utilities Commission has granted to Duke and its division formerly known as Progress Energy.

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