On October 14th, the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) will hold a technical conference on one of the state’s most pressing challenges: how to power the massive new electric loads driven by North Carolina’s economic development, advanced manufacturing, and the growing demands of artificial intelligence and data centers.

The numbers are staggering. Duke Energy’s latest load forecast shows that just two projects slated to ramp up over the next planning period will require nearly 900 megawatts (MW) by 2035—enough to power the entire city of Raleigh. Major players like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Google are all expanding their presence in North Carolina, with much of their growth tied to the AI boom.

This demand surge cannot be solved by business-as-usual planning. Large power users need rapid connections, and traditional utility planning and interconnection timelines can’t keep up. Without new approaches, North Carolina risks straining the grid, driving up ratepayer costs, and undermining the state’s statutory requirement to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

In comments submitted to the Commission, the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association (CCEBA) emphasized that the rapid rise of large loads presents both a major hurdle and an exciting opportunity. CCEBA calls on the Commission to act with urgency and transparency to meet demand with reliable, low cost clean energy solutions.

Greater transparency is essential—not only so regulators, policymakers, and the public can see how utilities are handling large-load requests, but also so customers understand what service options are available to them. Clarity is also needed on how utilities plan to meet loads with low- or zero-carbon resources, which can reduce costs, increase flexibility, and ensure alignment with state clean energy goals. 

Any successful strategy also requires embracing new, innovative tactics to enhance and speed large load integration. Traditional approaches simply will not make the cut—we need intersectional solutions like generation self-supply, flexible load management and demand response, and a focus on grid-enhancing technologies that can unlock capacity without new connective buildout. 

Other regions are already testing creative models to bring new load to the grid. For example, Nevada Energy’s Clean Transition Tariff lets customers lease/own and install backup generation or storage, while large customers can pay a premium and gain access to clean energy resources. The Tennessee Valley Authority, Kairos, and Google have a power purchase agreement (PPA) stipulating that Kairos’ power plant will provide continuous power to the grid and data centers; the PPA simultaneously emphasizes that other ratepayers will be insulated from any risks and incremental costs from the plant. Additionally, PJM’s “Critical Issue Fast Path” (CIFP) process is exploring demand response and customer-supplied generation to integrate new loads more quickly.

North Carolina’s energy crunch is time sensitive. Solar and storage are not only lowest-cost sources of electricity, but can be built six-to-twelve years ahead of any other energy source. CCEBA urges state leaders and large buyers to seize the ample clean energy opportunities available in North Carolina and embrace new tools for faster interconnection and more flexible electricity management. By aligning speed, flexibility, and carbon-free resources, the state can transform today’s surging electricity demands into a powerful engine for sustainable growth.