Utility Tariff Analysis · Updated September 2026

Duke Energy Carolinas' Proposed Large Load Tariff: What It Means for AI Data Center Siting in North Carolina

September 18, 2026 6 min read Strategic Crypto Reserve Data Center Infrastructure

Duke Energy's North Carolina large load tariff is now a settlement: filed on October 6, 2026 with the Public Staff, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, the Carolina Industrial Group for Fair Utility Rates and the U.S. Department of Defense, it puts new data centers of 50 MW or more (at an 80% or higher load factor), or any load of 150 MW or more, on Duke's High Load Factor schedule. The North Carolina Utilities Commission still has to approve it; Duke expects a decision by mid-November 2026.

North Carolina at a glance: industrial power about 7.8¢/kWh (EIA-based, indexed to April 2026) · grid queue about 32 months · data center equipment tax exemption: available. Indicative figures from the SCR AI Build Configurator v1.4.0.

The Tariff Explained Model a North Carolina Build Free
North Carolina AI data center power map: Duke Energy Carolinas' Proposed Large Load Tariff large-load tariff

Duke Energy Carolinas' Proposed Large Load Tariff

NC

Duke Energy Carolinas

E-7 SUB 1329

Regulatory docket / filing reference

Data centers 50 MW+ (80% load factor) or any load 150 MW+

Who the tariff applies to

Duke Energy's North Carolina large load tariff is now a settlement: filed on October 6, 2026 with the Public Staff, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, the Carolina Industrial Group for Fair Utility Rates and the U.S. Department of Defense, it puts new data centers of 50 MW or more (at an 80% or higher load factor), or any load of 150 MW or more, on Duke's High Load Factor schedule. The North Carolina Utilities Commission still has to approve it; Duke expects a decision by mid-November 2026.

Also active in North Carolina: Duke's North Carolina territory already carries some of the largest announced Southeastern loads: a $10 billion AWS campus in Richmond County (each 1,000 MW increment expected to save existing customers almost $1 billion over a 15-year contract) and a $14 billion Toyota battery plant in Liberty.

Duke Energy Data Center Tariff: Settlement Terms (October 2026)

TermWhat the settlement says
Who it applies toContract demand of 50 MW or more with an expected rolling 12-month load factor of 80% or more, or 150 MW or more at any load factor
Rate scheduleDuke's existing High Load Factor schedule, made mandatory for qualifying customers
Minimum billMinimum billing demand of 75% of contract demand (demand charges only, not a minimum energy purchase)
Paid up frontDedicated connection facilities such as substations
Shared grid upgradesDeposits or security; costs spread across customers at first and repaid over the contract term
Early exitCharges through the notice period, remaining extra-facilities charges, then 25% of remaining minimum demand charges
Who is exemptCustomers with contracts signed on or before June 1, 2026
StatusAwaiting North Carolina Utilities Commission approval; Duke expects a decision by mid-November 2026

Sources: WUNC and Microgrid Media, October 2026. Price a North Carolina build against these terms in the AI Build Configurator.

North Carolina at a glance: 50 MW large-load threshold under the October 2026 Duke Energy settlement

Named Projects Already Underway

CustomerLocationDetails
AWSRichmond County, NC$10 billion data center campus; Duke Energy expects each 1,000 MW increment to save existing customers almost $1 billion over a 15-year contract
ToyotaLiberty, NC$14 billion battery manufacturing facility

Figures compiled from the Edison Electric Institute's "Large Load Projects and Tariffs" (September 2026) member-company summary and public regulatory filings. Confirm current tariff terms directly with Duke Energy Carolinas and the relevant state public utility commission before relying on any figure for a capital decision.

Weighing North Carolina against another state or a Canadian province with a different rate and interconnection picture entirely? Run both sides of the comparison through our licensed AI data center cost configurator — it applies each jurisdiction's actual power rate, tax treatment and large-load tariff rules to the same seven build configurations.

Duke Energy Carolinas’ proposed large-load docket is still pending; for a facility that’s already built and running, our crypto data center in British Columbia is a useful real-world reference point.

Named data center projects underway in North Carolina Named Projects Already Underway: Duke Energy Carolinas' Proposed Large Load Tariff: What It Means for AI Data Center Siting in North Carolina

Model This State on Your Own Site

Every figure above comes from the same power-cost and tariff dataset behind the SCR AI Build Configurator — a licensed, embeddable widget that models seven data center build configurations against all nine Canadian provinces and all 50 US states plus DC, returning capital expenditure by line item, energy cost, revenue by commercial structure, EBITDA and payback.

LicencePrice (CAD)Who it suits
Standard$4,000 / domain / yearAdvisors who need three lease-model configurations and a clipboard summary
Pro$10,000 / domain / yearConsultants who send CSV deliverables to clients and want all seven configurations
EnterpriseFrom $25,000 / year, up to 3 domainsDevelopers and EPC firms who want the model on their own cost basis with attribution removed

Not ready for an annual licence? A one-time Site Screening Report ($950, one site) runs the same model for a single build without embedding anything.

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Model a North Carolina data center build in the SCR AI Build Configurator: CapEx, power cost, EBITDA and payback Model This State on Your Own Site: Duke Energy Carolinas' Proposed Large Load Tariff: What It Means for AI Data Center Siting in North Carolina

Compare North Carolina With Nearby States

Large-load rules change sharply at state lines. See how the neighbouring utilities handle data center and high-density loads before you shortlist a site.

Virginia

Dominion GS-5 (25 MW)
South Carolina

Duke Energy SC (50 MW)
Tennessee

TVA capacity charge (5 MW)
Georgia

Georgia Power 100 MW rule
All 50 State Tariffs Data Center Cost Calculator AI Build Configurations

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does the Duke Energy data center tariff apply to?

Under the October 2026 settlement, new customers with contract demand of 50 MW or more and an expected load factor of 80% or more, or any customer of 150 MW or more. Customers with contracts signed on or before June 1, 2026 are exempt.

What does a data center pay up front under Duke's large load tariff?

It pays up front for dedicated connection facilities such as substations, and posts deposits or security for shared grid upgrades. It is billed for at least 75% of its contract demand, and leaving early triggers exit charges.

When will the Duke Energy large load tariff take effect?

Only after the North Carolina Utilities Commission approves it. Duke expects a decision by mid-November 2026, and some cost allocation details are left to its next rate case.

What is Duke Energy Carolinas' Proposed Large Load Tariff?

Duke Energy's North Carolina large load tariff is now a settlement: filed on October 6, 2026 with the Public Staff, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, the Carolina Industrial Group for Fair Utility Rates and the U.S. Department of Defense, it puts new data centers of 50 MW or more (at an 80% or higher load factor), or any load of 150 MW or more, on Duke's High Load Factor schedule. The North Carolina Utilities Commission still has to approve it; Duke expects a decision by mid-November 2026.

Why did Duke Energy Carolinas introduce this large-load structure?

To ensure the cost of new generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure built to serve very large customers, chiefly hyperscale data centers, is paid for by those customers rather than spread across the general rate base of residential and small commercial ratepayers.

What large data center projects are already active in North Carolina?

Duke's North Carolina territory already carries some of the largest announced Southeastern loads: a $10 billion AWS campus in Richmond County (each 1,000 MW increment expected to save existing customers almost $1 billion over a 15-year contract) and a $14 billion Toyota battery plant in Liberty.

Does this tariff replace North Carolina's standard commercial and industrial rates?

No. Duke Energy Carolinas' Proposed Large Load Tariff sits above Duke Energy Carolinas's standard commercial and industrial rate schedules and applies specifically to customers that meet or exceed the large-load threshold described above. Smaller commercial and industrial loads continue to be billed under existing rate schedules.

How can I model a North Carolina data center build against this tariff and other states?

The SCR AI Build Configurator applies North Carolina's power cost, tax treatment and large-load tariff rules alongside all other US states and Canadian provinces, so a North Carolina scenario can be compared line-by-line against any alternative site.