Duke Energy released an updated long-range energy strategy that includes construction of two additional natural gas facilities and continued operation of existing coal plants, decisions the utility attributes to anticipated demand from data center projects. According to documents made public last Friday, the company currently has 8,000 megawatts of demand commitments from 43 large customers in advanced stages of development, while an additional 6,000 megawatts remain in earlier phases of planning without finalized contracts.
Environmental advocates have raised concerns about the utility’s approach, noting that residential and retail energy demand growth has declined in recent years while Duke invests heavily in infrastructure designed to serve data centers. Residential demand growth has fallen from 1.9 percent to 1.3 percent, while retail demand decreased from 1.8 percent to 1.2 percent during the same period. Critics argue that the utility’s expansion plans rely on uncertain future demand from these large technology customers rather than demonstrated local needs.
Activists are urging South Carolina’s Public Service Commission to implement comprehensive consumer protection measures before approving additional generation capacity. They contend that residential and small business customers should not bear disproportionate costs for infrastructure built to serve wealthy technology companies. Proponents of stronger regulations suggest the commission establish large load customer tariffs and specific protections addressing data center impacts, noting that while Duke has made incremental investments in renewable energy and battery storage, these efforts are overshadowed by continued commitments to fossil fuel infrastructure.
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