Electric use growing faster than predicted, pushing urgency for Duke Energy to invest, build
Duke Energy is making plans to meet a sharp, unexpected growth in North Carolina's electric usage.
A new filing from the North Carolina Utilities Commission shows the rate of growth for Duke Energy's electric usage load is currently 8 times higher than the peak load projected in 2022.
To accommodate growth, planners create electric usage forecasts years in advance, but 2022's prediction was off.
In order to meet energy demand in North Carolina and South Carolina, Duke Energy will need to increase output by 58,000 gigawatts. That’s the same amount of electricity needed to power five small states (Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming), according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Part of the plan is the building of a new, hydrogen-capable natural gas power plant in Person County to replace a plant that runs on coal.
The company published a "Carolinas Resource Plan," described as a "roadmap" to "delivering a path to cleaner energy without compromising grid reliability, energy affordability or the energy demands of a growing region."
Duke Energy makes plans for new, clean-energy plants
Duke is planning to retire coal-burning plants across North Carolina and replace them with "equally reliable resources," the plan says.
The utility plans to announce the details and timeline to build that plant at an event on Thursday.
Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks said the Carolinas have experienced "tremendous" population growth, largely due to economic development.
"We've seen lots of businesses moving into the area, lots of big energy users moving into the area, and that's great for our economy and for our state -- but it is a challenge we have to address to make sure we're reliably meeting those energy needs," Brooks said.
Electric forecasts for the Carolinas show sharp increases year-over-year.
"We're going to need to generate new energy between now and the next 15 years," Brooks said. "That's going to require us to build new power plants and be more efficient."
Duke Energy is working to transition to cleaner energy options with plans to eliminate coal usage by 2035.
"That's going to be our challenge over the next few years is to meet that growing energy demand reliably but also increasingly clean," Brooks said.
Duke Energy is already taking steps to meet the new energy growth.
In November, Duke launched a new Energy Control Center, replacing an old one built in the 1980s. The facility controls the electricity for more than 1.7 million users and utilizes multiple energy sources.
Brooks said it will also help prevent rolling blackouts like North Carolina saw on Christmas Eve in 2022.
Duke Energy bills will rise
What does this mean for customers' electric bills, which have already seen an increase?
"We're doing everything that we can to keep rates as low as possible for customers," Brooks said.
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Duke Energy has announced it will spread out increased costs over time, providing customers with more predictable rates so they can plan ahead as opposed to dealing with large increases.
