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North Carolina Utilities Commission Denies Duke’s $584 Million Turbine Request

By Drooid · Sep 19, 2026, 2:59 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The North Carolina Utilities Commission denied Duke Energy’s $584 million natural-gas turbine request.
Regulators said Duke failed to show the project’s necessity or customer cost protection.
The proposed turbine would generate about 255 megawatts by 2030 at the Sherwood H. Smith Complex.
One commissioner dissented, arguing the turbine is needed for grid reliability as demand grows.
Regulators told Duke to detail financing, data-center demand share, and cheaper alternatives if it reapplies.

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Story summary

The North Carolina Utilities Commission denied Duke Energy’s $584 million natural-gas turbine request.
Regulators said Duke failed to show the project’s necessity or customer cost protection.
The proposed turbine would generate about 255 megawatts by 2030 at the Sherwood H. Smith Complex.
One commissioner dissented, arguing the turbine is needed for grid reliability as demand grows.
Regulators told Duke to detail financing, data-center demand share, and cheaper alternatives if it reapplies.