GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Dozens of protesters stood outside Governmental Plaza in Greensboro Wednesday evening to protest a proposed rate hike by Duke Energy. 

People rallied from the plaza to the courtroom for a public hearing organized by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. 

Organizers of the rally say residential customers will suffer from Duke Energy’s proposed rate increase of about 17 percent.           

"When we look at the cost of housing, rent, we look at the cost of medicines,” said Jillian Riley of the Sierra Club Piedmont. “People are having to choose between whether or not they pay for the medicines that they need or they pay their electric bill and that shouldn't have to be a choice that people make."

Duke Energy says the increase will help with future investments across the state like more modernized electric systems, generating clean power and improving reliability.