Dec 4 (Reuters) - A town in North Carolina sued utility

firm Duke Energy ( DUK ) on Wednesday, accusing the company of

deceiving its customers and the broader public about the harms

of climate change.

The town of Carrboro, about 30 miles from the state capital

of Raleigh, said it is "on the hook" for millions of dollars in

road repairs, rising energy bills and other infrastructure costs

to mitigate the ill effects of climate change.

It blamed Duke Energy ( DUK ) for its alleged campaign to delay the

transition to renewable energy.

The lawsuit, filed in the Orange County Superior Court, said

despite being aware of the risks from fossil fuels for more than

50 years, Duke Energy's ( DUK ) top executives increased reliance on

coal and gas for electricity.

"The climate crisis continues to burden our community and

cost residents their hard-earned tax dollars," Barbara Foushee,

the mayor of Carrboro, said.

Duke Energy ( DUK ) did not immediately respond to a request for

comment.

The company's electric utilities serve more than 8 million

customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana,

Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy ( DUK ) plans to add 30,000 megawatts of renewable

energy capacity by 2035, and shift some of its coal-based energy

production to natural gas, according to the company's website.