Duke Proposes Upfront Grid Payments for Large North Carolina Loads
A proposed settlement would apply to qualifying loads of at least 50 MW and 80% load factor, subject to regulatory approval.
Duke Energy announced a North Carolina settlement on October 7, 2026, proposing new protections for customers as large electricity loads connect to its system. The proposal remains subject to approval by the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
Under the proposed terms, qualifying large-load customers would pay upfront, nonrefundable costs for dedicated grid facilities. Deposits, security arrangements and guarantees would address shared-grid upgrade costs, alongside a separate high-load-factor rate schedule.
Key details
- Threshold: Loads of at least 50 megawatts with a load factor of at least 80%.
- Agreement date: The proposal covers qualifying electric-service agreements after June 1, 2026.
- Decision: Duke expects a commission ruling in mid-November; the settlement is not an approved tariff.
Next steps
Data center and industrial developers should assess how dedicated infrastructure payments and financial security could affect connection budgets. Discuss proposed service terms through Duke’s data center inquiry portal and check the commission’s final decision before treating the settlement as binding.
Contacts & resources
Duke settlement announcement — October 7, 2026. Duke media inquiries: 800-559-3853; use the project inquiry route for connection planning.
Details reviewed October 10, 2026. Check linked official updates before acting.
Representative electricity infrastructure: PSE&G Minue Substation, New Jersey, June 2016; not the project discussed. Tonyglen14 · CC BY 2.0. No editorial alterations; display may be resized or cropped. Display adaptations retain the stated license.
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