Carbon Plan

On October 13, 2021, Governor Cooper signed into law House Bill 951 (S.L. 2021-165) directing the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) to take all reasonable steps to achieve reductions in the emissions of carbon dioxide in this State from electric generating facilities owned or operated by certain electric public utilities. The NCUC is directed to achieve a reduction of 70% from 2005 levels by the year 2030 and carbon neutrality by the year 2050. Session Law 2021-165 limits the applicability of this requirement to Duke Energy Progress, LLC, and Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke). The NCUC is directed to develop a plan (the Carbon Plan) to achieve these emission reductions in the least cost manner by December 31, 2022, and to review the plan every two years thereafter. All filings and NCUC Orders for the 2022 Carbon Plan can be found under Docket No. E-100 Sub 179.

As with all proceedings before the NCUC, the Public Staff will represent the using and consuming public in this matter. The Public Staff will work to ensure that the carbon reduction goals are met in the least cost manner, minimizing the rate impacts to Duke ratepayers to the extent possible.

On July 15, 2022, the Public Staff filed its Initial Comments in the Carbon Plan docket, along with numerous intervenors. These comments summarize the Public Staff’s investigation and recommendations to the Commission, including a recommendation that Duke conduct additional modeling. The Commission will also receive testimony from members of the public at the following dates and times:

*These hearings will be held remotely via Webex, with members of the public participating by phone. People who would like to testify must register in advance by 5:00pm, August 16, 2022, by emailing the Commission at ncucpublichearing@ncuc.net or by calling 919-733-0837. People who want to register must provide their name, the docket number (E-100 Sub 179), the telephone number that they will use to participate in the hearing, and the topic of their testimony. Only the first 20 people registered for each remote hearing session will be allowed to testify. People who simply want to observe a remote hearing may do so via the live stream link on this website. Here is more information on how to participate in a remote hearing.

The Commission may also determine that an evidentiary hearing is warranted, wherein expert witnesses would file direct and rebuttal testimony and be made available for cross examination from other parties and Commission questioning. The Commission has ordered that Duke file an Issues Report by July 22, 2022, classifying all substantive issues into three categories: (1) those issues where agreement exists or can reasonably be expected to be reached; (2) those issues that are in controversy, but do not merit consideration at an expert witness hearing; and (3) those issues that are in controversy and merit consideration at an expert witness hearing. Should the Commission determine that an evidentiary hearing is warranted, the following schedule will apply. An order from the Commission establishing what issues, if any, merit consideration at an evidentiary hearing is anticipated by July 29, 2022.