By Laila Kearney
NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. power company Duke Energy is considering adding large nuclear reactors to its fleet and extending the life of some coal plants as part of a long-term energy plan aimed at meeting sharply rising electricity demand in the Carolinas.
Electric utilities across the U.S. are boosting power infrastructure plans to account for rapid growth in electricity consumption, driven by AI data centers, the electrification of transportation and buildings as well as a resurgence in domestic manufacturing.
The recent surge in power use has sparked renewed interest in nuclear energy, which produces around-the-clock electrons that are virtually carbon-free.
“We’re seeing energy needs over the next 15 years that are expected to grow at eight times the growth rate of the past 15 years,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president.
Duke’s 2025 Carolinas Resource Plan was filed with regulators on Wednesday and outlines its strategy through to 2040, updating the 2023 version that covered energy needs through 2038.
The plan includes a proposal to study the addition of large light-water reactors and small modular reactors, with potential sites at Belews Creek in North Carolina and the W.S. Lee site in South Carolina. Duke is targeting a 2037 in-service date for new nuclear generation.
If Duke moves forward with the nuclear part of its plan, the power utility would be building new reactors for the first time in decades.
The proposal is set against a backdrop of power consumption at record highs and U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to roll back incentives for wind and solar development while promoting fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Duke said it will seek extensions of between two and four years for several coal plants with dual-fuel capability, citing recent federal policy changes. The company said it still intends to retire its ageing coal fleet as new resources come online.
“That extension helps bridge the gap,” said Glen Snider, Duke’s managing director of integrated resource planning.
Duke is the largest operator of regulated nuclear power in the U.S. and among the biggest coal plant operators in the country.
The company also plans to more than double its battery storage capacity from earlier projections to 5,600 megawatts (MW) by 2034 and maintain its target for 4,000 MW of solar power capacity.
Wind power, the company said, is economically unviable for its customers through 2040.
The utility also plans to expand its natural gas fleet, adding two combustion turbines to the five combined cycle units proposed in its 2023 plan. It will increase liquefied natural gas storage to improve reliability and reduce fuel cost volatility.
Duke’s proposed upgrades to existing nuclear and hydropower facilities will add nearly 600 MW of clean capacity.
(Reporting by Laila KearneyEditing by David Goodman)
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