State regulators ordered Duke Energy to pump the brakes on new solar power — a move that some clean energy advocates are calling unprecedented and a blow to the state’s clean energy transition.
State regulators ordered Duke Energy to defer further solar procurement until they rule on Duke Energy’s current Carbon Plan proposal. The utility had planned to approve 770 megawatts of new solar energy this year, several large solar farms' worth.
“We’re already way behind where we should be in building out clean, affordable, cheaper generation, and this just sets us back even further,” said Jim Warren, executive director of energy watchdog group NC WARN.
The order follows a 2025 law that eliminated the state’s 2030 climate goal, causing Duke Energy to pull back on its plans for new solar. Federal lawmakers have also rolled back several solar tax credits.
“At a time of rising bills, we are pausing access to our cheapest form of energy,” said Will Scott, the North Carolina policy director for Environmental Defense Fund.
Scott said that the same unit of energy produced by solar is significantly cheaper than natural gas.
He also said that while this won’t impact those solar projects that are already under construction, it’s bad for business. This pause sends an unclear signal to North Carolina solar developers who have been preparing to bid for these contracts.
“Projects — whether it’s solar, natural gas, battery storage — require years and years of planning to move forward,” said Matt Abele, executive director of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association.
State regulators will make a decision on Duke Energy’s Carbon Plan later this year. Duke Energy did not comment on the order.
