Duke's power?

All but two of the legislators who signed a Feb. 27 letter in favor of a proposed Duke Energy Corp. coal plant received money last year from the company's political action committee.

The letter urged the N.C. Utilities Commission to finish public hearings on the Cliffside project, an 800-megawatt coal-fired plant planned by the Charlotte power company in the Blue Ridge foothills.

Of the 23 senators and representatives who signed it, only Republican Reps. Carolyn Justice and Tim Moore did not receive any money from the Duke Energy Corp. PAC in 2006. (Moore received a $500 donation the year before.)

The contributions, which total $59,750, were mostly given around April and September. They range from $1,000 to Rep. Bill Owens, an Elizabeth City Democrat, to $7,000 to Sen. Tom Apodaca, a Hendersonville Republican.

Of the money, $34,750 went to 13 Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand and House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman, and $25,000 went to eight Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger.

A full list of the 2006 donations after the jump.

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Democrats

Sen. R.C. Soles Jr., $6,000

Sen. David Hoyle, $4,000

Sen. Tony Rand, $4,000

Rep. Nelson Cole, $4,000

Rep. Pryor Gibson, $4,000

Rep. Drew Saunders, $4,000

Rep. William Wainwright, $1,750

Sen. Clark Jenkins, $1,500

Sen. A.B. Swindell, $1,500

Rep. Bob England, $1,000

Rep. Bruce Goforth, $1,000

Rep. Hugh Holliman, $1,000

Rep. Bill Owens, $1,000

Republicans

Sen. Tom Apodaca, $7,000

Sen. Phil Berger, $4,000

Rep. Harold Brubaker, $4,000

Sen. Neal Hunt, $3,000

Rep. Mitch Gillespie, $2,000

Rep. Joe Kiser, $2,000

Rep. Danny McComas, $2,000

Sen. Jerry Tillman, $1,000