North Carolina AG Proposes Data Center Rate Class to Stop Duke Cost Shift
What's documented Filed directly with the NC Utilities Commission by the Attorney General's office, in the docket of Duke Energy's pending rate cases.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson asked the state Utilities Commission to create a new rate class specifically for Duke Energy's data center customers, arguing large loads should not be folded into the same pricing structure as households. The filing follows a separate proposed order Jackson submitted in Duke's Carbon Plan case, where Duke has projected 80% of new demand will come from data centers and other large users. Utilities earn a regulated return on the infrastructure they build, so how a data center's costs get classified determines who ultimately pays for it.
- Proposal filed directly in Duke Energy's pending rate cases before the NC Utilities Commission.
- A dedicated rate class would set uniform rules for data centers and block cost shifting onto residential customers.
- Companion Carbon Plan filing asks Duke to publish its template large-load contracts and shift load forecasting from every six months to every 90 days.
- Third rate proceeding this year where Jackson has pushed back on Duke Energy's ratepayer terms, after opposing a 9.5% Duke Energy Carolinas increase and a $960 million Duke Energy Progress hike.