A new filing from Duke Energy suggests that data center projects in the Carolinas are becoming more firm, even as local governments push back. The utility submitted its biannual economic development report on large energy users, which lists prospective customers. Most entries are probably not hyperscale data centers, and many are smaller facilities.
Dozens of local governments across the Carolinas have adopted moratoria on data centers, yet the projects are still advancing in their efforts to secure electricity. Duke has tracked this data since last spring, and the latest report is the first in which projects with signed contracts outnumber those in the late-stage pipeline or covered only by a letter of agreement.
The distinction matters because the contracts carry obligations. Duke's agreements can include exit fees if a project is canceled, minimum terms and other provisions that make it harder for developers to withdraw. The report does not give counts of projects or megawatt totals in the coverage reviewed here.
The filing follows Duke's fall 2023 load forecast, which projected unprecedented growth in electricity demand over 15 years, with the pace of new demand more than doubling. Duke said meeting that demand would require grid upgrades, longer lives for coal plants and new natural gas generation. The forecast was also cited as part of the justification when the North Carolina General Assembly dismantled the state's 2030 climate target.
The central question since then has been whether the projected projects would actually be built. The latest filing indicates that many companies with tentative agreements last spring have since moved to binding contracts, which makes completion more likely and means Duke will need to build infrastructure to serve them. The report is hosted on the North Carolina Utilities Commission website.
Source: WFAE / WHQR -- https://www.whqr.org/2026-10-16/new-report-shows-growing-certainty-for-incoming-data-centers-in-the-carolinas