Duke Energy announced Wednesday it was hoping to keep some of its coal units humming to meet electricity demand as a grid reliability crisis looms large.
The utility filed its long-term energy plan with state regulators, looking to extend the life of several retiring coal units in North Carolina as electricity costs and power demand rise. Grid reliability and electricity costs have been a nation-wide concern, with the Department of Energy (DOE) warning in a July report that blackouts are expected to increase by a factor of 100 by 2030 if America continues to phase out power plants without adequate replacements.
“By expanding our diverse generation portfolio and maximizing our existing power plants to meet growth needs, we will ensure reliable energy while saving all our customers money,” Duke Energy’s North Carolina President Kendal Bowman said Wednesday.
Electricity prices have been on the rise as demand is increasing after years of staying stagnant, largely driven by the influx of data centers. Duke Energy notes in the plan that it’s concerned over affordability and hopes to keep the units running to meet this climbing demand.
Duke Energy was seeking to keep three retiring coal units alive at North Carolina coal plants including Belews Creek, Cliffside, Marshall “following federal actions that eased restrictions on coal generation,” according to the utility. Though units at the plants were scheduled to be phased out in the next few years, the utility plans to keep them operational for another two-to-four years with the goal of potentially converting them eventually to run on natural gas or even nuclear.
“To meet projected load growth beyond that assumed in the Moderate Development Load Forecast, it is possible that the continued operation of certain coal units could provide near-term benefits in the form of existing capacity to meet increased load on the system,” the plan states. “The retirement date of Belews Creek Units 1 and 2 through year-end 2039 strategically enables the Companies to maintain system reliability and grid stability, while allowing optionality for new nuclear generation at the site in the future.”
Though former President Joe Biden vowed to shut coal “plants down all across America,” President Donald Trump has branded the energy resource as “beautiful, clean coal” as the DOE has moved to keep several retiring plants alive through emergency orders.
“The North Carolina Utilities Commission will hold hearings on the resource plan in 2026 – dates are still to be determined – and issue an order by Dec. 31, 2026,” the plan continues.
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