Duke Energy's 2025 Carolinas Plan: 5,600MW Battery Storage, 4,000MW Solar PV by 2034
Duke Energy has submitted a long-range energy plan for North and South Carolina, with significant changes including a substantial increase in battery storage and solar PV capacity. The plan, filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission, is set to be discussed in hearings scheduled for October 14-15, 2025.
The plan, dubbed the 2025 Carolinas Resource Plan, includes an ambitious target of 5,600MW of battery storage by 2034. This marks a significant shift, as the company currently determines wind power as not economically viable for customers through 2040. Duke Energy aims to install battery storage projects across the Carolinas, with plans to build at the Allen Riverbend and Mayo coal plant sites.
The plan also targets 4,000MW of solar PV by 2034, reflecting major policy shifts at the state and federal levels. To accommodate these changes, Duke Energy is extending the operational life of certain coal plants by two to four years and maintaining five combined-cycle natural gas units. Additionally, the company is developing a second power block at its Bad Creek pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) project.
If implemented, the plan would result in a 2.1% increase in customer bills. The hearings in October 2025 will determine the fate of this comprehensive energy modernisation plan, which seeks to balance customer needs with evolving energy policies and technologies.
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