Duke Energy

State regulators held a hearing Tuesday night at the Rowan County Courthouse in Salisbury. Several residents attended, carrying anti–data center signs.

Duke Energy is asking state regulators for permission to develop new fossil fuel resources to meet growing electricity demand driven by population growth and potential new AI data centers.

The Change.org petition claims many households are seeing dramatic increases—some as high as $200 a month—despite no change in their energy habits. Supporters are demanding that state regulators review Duke’s billing system and issue refunds if errors are found.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has released an updated inventory of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, detailing trends in the pollutants most responsible for climate change.

Duke Energy has requested permission from state regulators for steep rate hikes beginning in 2027. It’s also seeking one of the highest returns on its Carolina operations among regulated utilities.

Last month’s winter storms pushed the energy grid to its limit. Now it’s pushing utility customers to the brink of disconnection.

Charlotte Republicans push Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden to step down after testimony in Raleigh. Early in-person voting in the primary begins. Duke Energy made nearly $5 billion in profit last year. That, as they ask for rate increases. Plus, four players are suspended after a brawl during the Hornets-Pistons game, but Charlotte still enters the All-Star break red hot.

During a public hearing for Duke Energy’s carbon and resource plan earlier this week, Duke Energy customers brought their concerns over energy-intensive data centers and expressed their frustration after the utility asked them to conserve energy.

In its proposed 2025 resource plan, Duke Energy said it wants to add seven combustion turbines in the coming years. The utility is considering Belews Creek for two of those.

As North Carolina continues decarbonizing its energy supply, giant batteries are one tool for keeping the lights on when the sun isn’t shining and the wind stops blowing. Duke Energy has brought a 50-megawatt battery online at the site of the former Allen coal plant in Gaston County.