At the time when we needed power most, 3-8 p.m. our solar facilities were able to provide inexpensive, clean and reliable power. Adding more batteries to the system as planned should only make the grid more reliable.

Duke Energy's release thanks customers for their conservation and the "all of the above energy mix" across the state but I think our massive solar buildout made a huge difference. NC ranks fifth in the nation for solar capacity, but our solar development has been slowing down.

Yesterday, I reported the DOE gave Duke Energy emergency authority to exceed pollution limits at its power plants to meet the demand. A Duke spokesperson told me that was precautionary and the utility did not have to resort to that. www.wsoctv.com/news/local/d...

Duke also says our all-time energy record was set this year. We used 37,260 MW in January. Obviously, this shows we're using a ton of power during our hottest and coldest days and our demand is rising year over year.

We've been in this dry period really since Hurricane Helene. Monday's rain was a big help but what the state really needs is to escape this pattern of long dry spells and then sudden huge rainfalls. I explored the issue earlier this week: www.wsoctv.com/news/local/w...

The bill has passed the NC Senate. www.wsoctv.com/news/local/b...

NC Electric Cooperatives and ElectriCities of NC have come out in favor of this bill. Duke Energy didn't specifically endorse the bill, but the utilities statement said it supports policies like the ones included in the bill.

I imagine this conversation will continue, as this bill makes it to the senate floor. It flew through two committees in two days so I expect that will be soon.

Duke Energy currently has plans to connect a small modular nuclear reactor to the grid by the mid-2030s. The concern from groups like the NCSEA, is that given past projects have come in late and over budget, could this bill create framework to put ratepayers on the hook for that?

Now, nuclear is a carbon-free technology that is already well-used in the Carolinas, BUT new nuclear projects have been proposed and canceled in both states several times over the past few decades.

In a statement to me, a Duke Energy spokesman said this would mean more stable and predictable energy prices. Several groups have spoken out with concerns this would mean ratepayers could be on the hook for expensive projects like new nuclear.

Then there's the other part of the bill: the construction costs. According to Duke and Leader Newton, passing along those costs to ratepayers during the construction process could save ratepayers money in the long run.

The NC Sustainable Energy Association disagrees. They say the 2030 goals force Duke Energy to prioritize existing, low-cost, low-carbon or carbon-free tech like solar and battery storage. Along with the EDF, they argue volatile natural gas prices are responsible for higher rates.

According to Leader Newton, “We're no less committed to 2050 carbon neutrality in our electric grid, but we're removing an obstacle that now we know exists for [the NC Utilities Commission]."