The proposed hike would raise electric bills by about 18% over the next two years.
DURHAM, N.C. โ State officials are hosting the final public hearing Wednesday on Duke Energy’s proposed rate hike that would raise electric bills by about 18% over the next two years.
The event in Durham is the first public hearing since public pushback from North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, who filed 700 pages of testimony opposing the plan.
Jackson argues the increase would cost residents nearly $1.4 billion in unnecessary charges over the next two years, largely to benefit the corporation’s profits.
“What we did was drill all the way down on what they actually need to meet that growth, and we think they overshot the mark, which means they also overshot the mark on how much money they need from you,” Jackson said in a video announcing the testimony. “Our case to the commission is basically that the proposed rate can come way down, Duke can still meet growth, and the average family will save a couple 100 bucks a year.”
If approved, a typical customer would see an initial increase of about $28 per month starting in 2027, followed by an additional $6 to $7 hike the following year.
For Charlotte residents like Jamarcus Neal, the prospect of higher bills is already a strain. Neal said he has taken on extra shifts and overtime to keep up with the rising cost of living, particularly his energy bill.
“It just doesn’t make any sense how high these bills are,” Neal said. “The cost of living is just not cheap, period.โย
Duke Energy said the increase is necessary to keep up with growing demand, pointing out that more than 150,000 new customers have moved into North Carolina over the past two years. The company also said the rate increase would help modernize technology that helped avoid 1.2 million customer outages last year.
Jackson’s filing also aims at larger energy users, such as data centers, arguing they should be placed in a separate rate class that better reflects the strain they put on the power grid.
“Going into this new era, we need specific protections to make sure that families don’t see rates spike because of gigantic users on the grid,” Jackson said.
The final decision rests with the North Carolina Utilities Commission, with a verdict expected this fall.
Separately, Duke Energy has also requested another rate increase in June to cover more than $800 million in fuel costs stemming from severe winter weather earlier this year.
Contact Julie Kay at juliekay@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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