• North Carolina says its approval of the merger of Duke Energy and Progress Energy under the Duke name gets benefits for consumers and is preferable to alternatives, including one of them merging with an out-of-state company.
• The companies will make charitable contributions, and stockholders have to cover all the costs of the merger, not rate-payers.
• "In light of consolidation now underway in the energy sector, we believe this merger will best serve the interests of the state, its taxpayers and energy consumers by keeping jobs here in North Carolina," North Carolina Utilities Commission Chairman Edward S. Finley Jr. said when the decision came down two days ahead of the companies' self-imposed deadline.

From the article:

The North Carolina Utilities Commission has approved the proposed merger between Duke Energy Corporation and Progress Energy, Inc., saying that the merger is in the best interest of the state. The benefits, they say, outweigh any anticipated costs and risks.