Cooper's Solar Deal: Public-Private Mix

0:00On April 30, North Carolina Democrat Roy Cooper, now running for U.S. Senate, faces fresh heat over a deal he cut as governor with energy bigwigs. That boosted his family's wallet. Reports say he leaned on his power over an Atlantic coast pipeline permit to push duke energy into buying more solar power from companies like strata, solar. That move allegedly paved the way for Cooper and his brother to lease their 40-acre plot in Nash County to a strata subsidiary. Cooper's public records pegged the long-term deal at over $1 million a year in rent. Critics blasted his mixing public business with private profit, especially since Cooper's team delayed the pipeline okay while tracking solar talks. Closely, internal emails even show solar execs begging for his direct help in nudging duke. Cooper swears the pipeline and solar stuff were totally separate and he stepped back for managing the land. But filings tied to a family-linked firm and his green energy push as governor funneled more cash to solar outfits like this.

1:02All this is bubbling up right as the Senate race heats up, forcing voters to weigh if Cooper's eco-winds came with too many family perks. That's your update from US News Today, powered by AI.