With federal regulators worried about market dominance in North Carolina, Progress Energy and Duke Energy will have to revise their proposed mega-merger.
The Charlotte Observer reported that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wants the North Carolina-based utilities to consider steps such as selling off power plants and handing control of their transmission system to an independent operator.
The Observer story does not indicate regulatory concerns about Florida, where Progress Energy Florida is the state’s second largest electric utility. But any delays in the merger would affect the Florida subsidiary.
A Progress spokesman told the Observer that the company is confident it can take care of the regulators’ concerns.
Shareholders of both companies have already approved the merger, which was announced in January.
