The North Carolina Utilities Commission is holding a public hearing Tuesday night at 7:00pm at the Burke County Courthouse to discuss Duke Energy’s proposed rate increase.
If approved, the rate increase would go into affect January 1 of 2027. Duke Energy said that the proposal, made back in November of last year, is to cover the cost of building new infrastructure.
In addition to this 15% rate hike request, Duke Energy requested an additional rate increase earlier this month to recover fuel cost for January’s winter storms.
According to WCNC, a state report released earlier this year found North Carolina electricity bills have already climbed 22% since 2020, driven by surging demand from data centers, population growth, and volatile natural gas prices.
That same report warns costs could rise another 40 to 60% over the next 15 years.