Dive Brief:
- North Carolina regulatory staff are questioning Duke Energy's plan to construct a new combined cycle natural gas plant near Ashevill, to replace a coal-fired plant, predicting advances in power-sector technology could make the new facility unnecessary, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.
- Duke has proposed constructing a pair of new gas-fired units to replace units in Lake Julian’s coal-powered facility, but staff at the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) say it may not be necessary when completed in 2024.
- Staff of the NCUC said rejecting the plan would allow for "advances in generation, transmission, and storage technologies" to fill any potential power needs in the next eight years.
Dive Insight:
Is Duke Energy's proposed 560-MW gas-fired plant in North Carolina necessary? That's the question North Carolina officials are asking, saying the infrastructure is unnecessary now, and most likely unnecessary eight years from now.
The NCUC staff's recommendation echos concerns already voiced by opponents of Duke's plans, writing that denying the proposed plant "will allow time for advances in generation, transmission, and storage technologies that may provide other least cost resource options."
The news outlet noted that the mountain region is seeing growing demand for energy, and the proposed turbines could avoid issues associated with coal ash, and its accompanying financial and environmental costs, but with the rapid pace of technologies, better options could arise.
The commission is expected to make a decision by March 1.
Duke responded to staff's opinion, saying "We appreciate the Public Staff’s thorough investigation ..., and look forward to the opportunity to explain the customer benefits of the Duke Energy Progress plan for a smarter, cleaner energy future."
The utility will make its case at a NCUC meeting on Monday.
