North Carolina

IEEFA Research

IEEFA U.S.: Duke Energy IRPs for Carolina utilities overlook opportunities for savings from renewables

IEEFA U.S.: Duke Energy IRPs for Carolina utilities overlook opportunities for savings from renewables

Integrated resource plans for Duke give short shrift to offshore wind, solar and battery storage

April 5, 2021 (IEEFA) ⎼ A pair of long-range plans for Carolina utilities owned by Duke Energy are all but ignoring potential savings from renewable energy sources over the next decade, according to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The IEEFA report is the fourth in a series examining the […]

and April 5, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Energy transition to renewables likely to accelerate over next two to three years

IEEFA U.S.: Energy transition to renewables likely to accelerate over next two to three years

Coal, gas set to become biggest losers as renewable generation climbs quickly

March 31, 2021 (IEEFA) — The speed and scope of the energy transition to renewables will pick up pace over the next two to three years, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis’ U.S. Power Sector Outlook 2021. Solar and battery storage adoption is enjoying almost exponential growth, and wind and solar […]

, , and March 31, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Financial rationale for Mountain Valley Pipeline has evaporated in changing market

IEEFA U.S.: Financial rationale for Mountain Valley Pipeline has evaporated in changing market

Falling demand, legal and regulatory challenges spell financial peril for pipeline project

March 8, 2021 (IEEFA) — A 303-mile pipeline that would move natural gas from the Appalachian Basin to markets in the eastern and southern U.S. is in financial jeopardy because of reduced demand projections and legal challenges, according to a report released today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The Mountain […]

, , and March 8, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA: Duke Energy’s North Carolina gas IRPs fail to consider battery storage as viable option

IEEFA: Duke Energy’s North Carolina gas IRPs fail to consider battery storage as viable option

Utility claims natural gas is cheaper than battery storage

February 18, 2021 (IEEFA) — Duke Energy’s plans for its two utilities in the Carolinas rely on outdated cost estimates to avoid expanding battery storage capacity, according to a new study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). In their latest integrated resource plans (IRPs), Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas […]

and February 18, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs overstate likely future demand growth

IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs overstate likely future demand growth

More realistic estimates would undercut case for new gas-fired generation

February 3, 2021 (IEEFA) — Forecasts used by Duke Energy that predict steadily rising demand for electricity in the Carolinas ignore the company’s sales history in the past 15 years, which have been essentially flat, and should be challenged by state regulators, according to a new study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial […]

and February 3, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs focus on new gas-fired generation, creating serious stranded-asset risks

IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs focus on new gas-fired generation, creating serious stranded-asset risks

Combined-cycle plants would be forced to retire well before end of operating life to meet 2050 net-zero goal

January 26, 2021 (IEEFA) — A pair of integrated resource plans (IRPs) for Duke Energy’s two North Carolina utilities rely heavily on the construction of gas-fired power plants that would have to be retired long before the end of their life span, according to a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial […]

and January 26, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: FERC gives blank check approval to pipeline builders, while investors and consumers pick up costs

IEEFA U.S.: FERC gives blank check approval to pipeline builders, while investors and consumers pick up costs

Commission’s 21-year-old pipeline policy puts contracts ahead of utility customers

December 17, 2020 (IEEFA) — The federal agency responsible for approving interstate gas pipeline projects is basing its decisions on contracts rather than on today’s consumer energy needs or the public interest, according to a report released today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The report—FERC’s Failure to Analyze Energy Market Forces—details […]

, and December 17, 2020 Read More →
IEEFA report: Coal-fired power generation collapsing across Southeast U.S., longtime bastion of the industry

IEEFA report: Coal-fired power generation collapsing across Southeast U.S., longtime bastion of the industry

Decade-long influx of cheap gas started regional transition; solar expected to finish it

Oct. 1, 2019 (IEEFA U.S.) – Abundant gas supplies have transformed the electricity-generation sector in the traditionally coal-dominated Southeast U.S. Planned new solar construction in the region will add momentum to the energy transition and likely lead to the zeroing out of all coal generation in a number of states in the near future, finds […]

, and October 1, 2019 Read More →
IEEFA report: The vanishing case for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

IEEFA report: The vanishing case for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Declining demand and more affordable renewables raise new questions about viability

January 29, 2019 (IEEFA) — Diminishing consumer demand coupled with more affordable renewables are casting doubt on the overall feasibility and potential profitability of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, according to a report released today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and Oil Change International. The report, The Vanishing Need for the Atlantic […]

and January 29, 2019 Read More →
Two Pipeline Expansion Projects in Appalachia Indicate a Rush Toward Overbuilding

Two Pipeline Expansion Projects in Appalachia Indicate a Rush Toward Overbuilding

Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines Pose Risk to Ratepayers, Communities, and Investors

We’ve published a report today that concludes that two natural gas pipelines proposed for construction from West Virginia into Virginia and North Carolina are indicative of a rush toward industry overbuilding. The study, “Risks Associated With Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion Across Appalachia,” examines the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would traverse West Virginia into eastern […]

April 27, 2016 Read More →

More News and Commentary

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IEEFA webinar: What’s wrong with Duke Energy’s plans for new gas-fired power plants in the Carolinas?  

Lessons may apply to other parts of the U.S. planning new gas investments and sidestepping renewables

Discover how Duke Energy’s Carolina integrated resource plans (IRPs) over-rely on gas-fired generation while largely ignoring renewables-based options ⎼ a recurring oversight in utility planning efforts in the U.S. Log in Thursday, April 15th at 1:00 p.m. EDT for an accessible deep-dive with IEEFA energy analyst Dennis Wamsted who will explore current plans and discuss alternatives. Drawing on an in-depth […]

and April 9, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Duke Energy IRPs for Carolina utilities overlook opportunities for savings from renewables
and

IEEFA U.S.: Duke Energy IRPs for Carolina utilities overlook opportunities for savings from renewables

Integrated resource plans for Duke give short shrift to offshore wind, solar and battery storage

April 5, 2021 (IEEFA) ⎼ A pair of long-range plans for Carolina utilities owned by Duke Energy are all but ignoring potential savings from renewable energy sources over the next decade, according to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The IEEFA report is the fourth in a series examining the […]

and April 5, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Energy transition to renewables likely to accelerate over next two to three years
, , and

IEEFA U.S.: Energy transition to renewables likely to accelerate over next two to three years

Coal, gas set to become biggest losers as renewable generation climbs quickly

March 31, 2021 (IEEFA) — The speed and scope of the energy transition to renewables will pick up pace over the next two to three years, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis’ U.S. Power Sector Outlook 2021. Solar and battery storage adoption is enjoying almost exponential growth, and wind and solar […]

, , and March 31, 2021 Read More →

U.S. East Coast states planning for surge in offshore wind projects

S&P Global Market Intelligence ($): U.S. East Coast states are bracing for an offshore wind boom as a new presidential administration signals support for the burgeoning industry. President Joe Biden’s administration on March 8 published the environmental statement for the proposed 800-MW Vineyard Offshore Wind Project off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, being […]

March 10, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Financial rationale for Mountain Valley Pipeline has evaporated in changing market
, , and

IEEFA U.S.: Financial rationale for Mountain Valley Pipeline has evaporated in changing market

Falling demand, legal and regulatory challenges spell financial peril for pipeline project

March 8, 2021 (IEEFA) — A 303-mile pipeline that would move natural gas from the Appalachian Basin to markets in the eastern and southern U.S. is in financial jeopardy because of reduced demand projections and legal challenges, according to a report released today by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The Mountain […]

, , and March 8, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: North Carolina regulators need to require revisions in Duke’s demand growth forecasts

IEEFA U.S.: North Carolina regulators need to require revisions in Duke’s demand growth forecasts

Duke Energy releases electricity sales figures for North Carolina in 2020, down 5%

Duke Energy reported this month that total retail sales at its two North Carolina utilities dropped to 117,970 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in 2020, down 6,114GWh from the year before—undercutting the entire growth analysis in the companies’ pending integrated resource plans (IRPs). The starting point for those plans was roughly 124,000GWh, with projections of 1% annual growth. […]

February 26, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA: Duke Energy’s North Carolina gas IRPs fail to consider battery storage as viable option
and

IEEFA: Duke Energy’s North Carolina gas IRPs fail to consider battery storage as viable option

Utility claims natural gas is cheaper than battery storage

February 18, 2021 (IEEFA) — Duke Energy’s plans for its two utilities in the Carolinas rely on outdated cost estimates to avoid expanding battery storage capacity, according to a new study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). In their latest integrated resource plans (IRPs), Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas […]

and February 18, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs overstate likely future demand growth
and

IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs overstate likely future demand growth

More realistic estimates would undercut case for new gas-fired generation

February 3, 2021 (IEEFA) — Forecasts used by Duke Energy that predict steadily rising demand for electricity in the Carolinas ignore the company’s sales history in the past 15 years, which have been essentially flat, and should be challenged by state regulators, according to a new study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial […]

and February 3, 2021 Read More →
IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs focus on new gas-fired generation, creating serious stranded-asset risks
and

IEEFA U.S.: Duke IRPs focus on new gas-fired generation, creating serious stranded-asset risks

Combined-cycle plants would be forced to retire well before end of operating life to meet 2050 net-zero goal

January 26, 2021 (IEEFA) — A pair of integrated resource plans (IRPs) for Duke Energy’s two North Carolina utilities rely heavily on the construction of gas-fired power plants that would have to be retired long before the end of their life span, according to a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial […]

and January 26, 2021 Read More →

EIA: Record 15.4GW of utility-scale solar capacity to be added to U.S. grid in 2021

PV Tech: A record amount of utility-scale PV capacity is expected to be connected to the grid in the US this year, with Texas accounting for more than a quarter of solar additions, according to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Developers and plant owners forecast 15.4GW of new utility-scale PV coming […]

January 13, 2021 Read More →
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