Statement by NC Farm Bureau President Shawn Harding on the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

RALEIGH, N.C., July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina Farm Bureau is deeply disappointed by the announcement that the Atlantic Coast Pipeline has been canceled, costing eastern North Carolina's farmers and rural residents critical opportunities for the future.

North Carolina's farmers and rural communities are facing unprecedented financial challenges that threaten their very survival, and for many, this decision will be devastating. The pipeline would have offered farmers options to further diversify and/or lower production costs— options that could mean the difference between keeping or losing the farm.

In losing the pipeline, farmers lose valuable access to affordable fuel when gas prices escalate.  The availability of natural gas to underserved areas via the pipeline would have lowered farm energy costs at a time when many farmers are stretched to their financial limits. The pipeline would have delivered job opportunities to towns and counties facing catastrophic losses. 

Despite this latest setback, North Carolina Farm Bureau remains committed to finding new and innovative opportunities to stabilize and rebuild the economies of our state. We look forward to working with Duke Energy to develop effective initiatives that will benefit and sustain rural North Carolina.

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SOURCE North Carolina Farm Bureau