North Carolina utilities commission halts Duke Energy solar procurement pending carbon plan

The chair of the North Carolina Utilities Commission issued an order requiring Duke Energy to stop new solar procurement until the state's next carbon‑neutrality plan is approved. The pause affects a 2026 request for about 770 MW of solar capacity—enough to power more than 100,000 homes—and could raise electricity rates for consumers as demand surges, especially from large‑load customers such as AI data centers.

Clean‑energy advocates and trade groups argue the directive is illegal and jeopardizes the state's carbon‑reduction goals, warning that the loss of nearly a gigawatt of renewable capacity undermines price stability and grid reliability. Duke Energy, which aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, said existing solar projects through 2030 remain unaffected and that solar paired with storage remains a key part of its resource mix.

The order follows a 2021 law mandating utilities to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, with biennial carbon‑plan updates. The commission is expected to finalize a new plan by the end of the year, after which the procurement process may resume.