Duke Energy proposed a new large load tariff for North Carolina data centers and industrial consumers. This plan requires these customers to pay a minimum bill for at least 10 years, regardless of actual electricity usage.
The proposal reverses Duke’s previous stance that special rules for large energy users were unnecessary. This transparent structure replaces the current system of confidential, individual agreements with major customers.
Duke recently increased its 2035 electricity demand forecast for large Carolinas customers by 2 gigawatts. Expected data center growth drove this forecast revision. Clean energy and consumer advocates pressured the utility to implement these changes.