NC Utilities Commission holds public hearing for Duke Energy’s resources plan

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The future of North Carolina’s energy resources was the focus of a special public hearing held in New Hanover County on Wednesday night.

The hearing is the second in a series held throughout the state by the state Utilities Commission for the public to give feedback on Duke Energy’s Carolinas Energy Resource Plan.

The plan proposes burning more coal and building more than 10 new natural gas plants in the coming years, which several speakers voiced concerns about.

Additionally, an ongoing nationwide debate surrounds data centers and the large amounts of power they require.

Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton said while they can anticipate new data centers being built in North Carolina, they have no control over what companies or projects come to the state.

“The vast majority of the growth we saw over the last year was actually in manufacturing, not data centers,” Norton said. “Data centers will play a huge role going forward, but you know, we’re going to serve whoever comes, because that’s, that’s our, that’s our role.”

Norton also said the plan is updated every 2 years and that Duke Energy will have to double the number of it’s nuclear facilities by 2050 to meet expected demand and to be carbon neutral.

Several additional public hearings will be held in other areas of the state, with the Utilities Commission expected to give its final approval to Duke Energy’s plan by the end of the year.