North Carolina regulators reject Duke Energy gas power plant — OilPrice
The North Carolina Utilities Commission in the United States rejected Duke Energy's application in September to build a 250 MW gas-fired power plant costing $500 million. The facility was planned to supply electricity to an Amazon complex of 21 buildings being constructed near Charlotte, OilPrice reports.
Consumer protection concerns
The Republican-controlled commission said that Duke Energy had not adequately demonstrated how consumers would be protected from construction costs. The regulator cited President Donald Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, a voluntary agreement introduced by the White House to protect U.S. consumers from price increases related to data centers' energy and infrastructure needs.
If the company reapplies for a construction permit, it will have to propose cost-recovery mechanisms that comply with the terms of this agreement, commission members said.
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Expansion of gas generation
The decision was made amid active growth in gas-fired generation in the United States, largely linked to the construction of data centers for artificial intelligence systems. According to Global Energy Monitor, U.S. gas generation capacity at various stages of development has increased since January from 252 GW to 378 GW, or by 50%. About half of the new capacity is directly linked to the development of data centers.
The organization also estimates that the United States is building approximately twice as much gas-fired generation capacity as China. If all planned projects are completed, the country's gas fleet could grow by about two-thirds, while capital expenditures would exceed $647 billion.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that dry natural gas production will rise from a record 107.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2025 to 111.7 billion in 2026 and 115.9 billion in 2027. Domestic consumption, according to these estimates, is expected to increase from 91.9 billion to 92.2 billion and 94.3 billion cubic feet per day, respectively.
