State regulators are still deliberating on Duke Energy’s proposed carbon plan amid ongoing controversy over data centers, rising demand and utility bills. Energy experts gathered in Raleigh on Tuesday to question Duke executives about how they plan to meet North Carolina’s energy needs and climate targets.
Attorney Mathew Quinn, with energy watchdog group NC WARN, questioned Duke about its role in new data center development.
“Duke has, in the recent past, engaged in an economic development campaign designed to bring economic development into the state, including data centers,” Quinn said.
Duke Energy president Harry Sideris previously discussed the company’s collaboration with local governments to attract data centers to its service territories, including both Carolinas.
Kendall Bowman oversees Duke Energy in North Carolina. She said data centers aren’t the only factor driving the state’s rapidly growing energy needs.
“There’s also a lot of population growth. North Carolina is one of the fastest growing states — Charlotte’s the fastest growing city in the country just recently,” Bowman said.
Duke has predicted that about one-third of new demand will come from population growth. The rest is economic development, driven largely by incoming data centers.
| Federal funding is gone. Community support matters more than ever. | |
|
One Community. 500 Sustainers.
One Stronger Future. WFAE is now 100% locally funded. Your monthly gift helps provide the reliable funding needed for future reporting, accountability journalism, election coverage, and the local stories this region depends on.
|
