Roy Cooper brings 'Make Stuff Cost Less' tour to Asheville Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, now the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in the state, visited Asheville on Wednesday as part of his "Make Stuff Cost Less" campaign tour. The event focused on the rising cost of utilities, which Cooper claims are placing significant financial pressure on families and small businesses across North Carolina. Speaking at RAD Brewing Company, Cooper outlined his legislative priorities for the U.S. Senate, including measures to reduce energy costs. He proposed requiring large data centers to cover the full cost of their electricity usage and encouraging major technology companies to generate their own power. "Too many families in North Carolina are getting squeezed by their power bills," Cooper stated. "It's not right, and it's time for a change." His plan also includes modernizing the state’s electric grid and prohibiting utility companies from disconnecting service during extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves or cold snaps. Cooper emphasized that these steps are necessary to alleviate the burden on households and businesses struggling with rising energy expenses. The event underscored the growing impact of utility costs in Western North Carolina, where local business owners reported significant increases in electricity and water prices. Robert "Lem" Lemery, owner of RAD Brewing Company, noted that energy and water costs have nearly doubled in recent years, forcing small businesses to absorb these expenses without passing them on to customers. "We can't offset those increased costs to customers without risking losing business, so we have to eat it," Lemery said. He highlighted the critical role of water in the brewing process, explaining that approximately 6.#north_carolina #roy_cooper #michael_whatley #rad_brewing_company #lookout_brewing
