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The N.C. Utilities Commission will delay ruling on a request to make public a number of confidential agreements around the Duke Energy-Progress Energy merger, while allowing comment from parties to the agreements.
The commission’s order Tuesday continued a flurry of last-minute regulatory filings on the merger, which the companies hope to close by Sunday.
The N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, a Durham advocacy group, asked the commission last week to open about 15 confidential agreements between Duke, Progress and customer groups. WARN argued that the information should not be protected as trade secrets, and could influence the merger’s impacts to customers.
In a response, the commission said WARN is entitled to file a request to view public records.
The panel gave parties to those agreements until Thursday to file responses to the request, focusing on whether the agreements hold trade secrets.
The commission held an hour-long hearing Monday to allow WARN’s attorney to question two witnesses who had filed written testimony on the merger. Following the hearing, the commission’s chairman indicated a ruling on the merger could come any day.
