North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson has asked the Utilities Commission to create a separate rate class for data centers and other large power users served by Duke Energy. The proposal is part of Duke's rate cases and is meant to keep the costs and risks of new data center load from falling on residential customers. Duke has said data centers and large users account for about 80% of projected new demand, which is driving plans for new generation and transmission. Jackson also filed recommendations in Duke's Carbon Plan case: make data center contracts public, report any deals that deviate from template agreements, update load forecasts every 90 days instead of every six months, and pause new natural gas plants until the latest forecast changes are reviewed. He has refused to sign prior rate settlements that would raise residential rates about 9.5% at Duke Energy Carolinas and 15% at Duke Energy Progress.
