Westminster rejects power extension agreement

Action by Westminster leaders sets the stage for the city to withdraw from a consortium of cities that draw electric power from a Duke nuclear reactor in York County. After their unanimous votes last night, Mayor Brian Ramey says the city will be free to go into the electricity market in 2035 and try to find a deal that will benefit their customers. The decision to eventually disengage as a member of the Piedmont Municipal Power Agency had been signaled in advance by several council meeting discussions, but had been building for years amid consumer complaints about the cost of their retail bills. PMPA has interest in 25% of Unit Two at the Catawba Nuclear Station.