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http://66.225.205.104/LM20100611.mp3 Duke Energy wants to know how much it would cost to stop fueling its plants with coal harvested from mountaintops. Mountaintop removal is pretty much

what it sounds like. Coal companies blast off the tops of mountains to get at the coal beneath. The process is cheaper than digging underground for it, but is devastating to the environment

and surrounding communities. As much as half of the coal Duke Energy uses in the Carolinas comes from Appalachian mountaintops. The company has been harshly criticized by environmental

groups for that. Duke Energy spokesman Tom Williams says the utility is taking a new step. It's seeking bids to compare the cost of coal mined underground and from mountaintops.

"We like our mountaintops as much as anybody else and if there's a way we can move the market in that direction to focus on only underground mining methods we want to help

facilitate that to happen," says Williams. Williams says mining companies typically blend coal from different sources and don't break out the different costs. Duke Energy wants to

know if it makes financial sense to stop buying coal mined from mountaintops. The company also wants to be prepared if the federal government clamps down on mountaintop removal. But

there's a sticking point. North Carolina law requires utilities to use fuel that has a reasonable cost, so power isn't too expensive for consumers. As a result many utilities feel

pressured to buy the cheapest coal no matter how it's mined.