Duke Energy Shifts Grid Connection Costs to 50MW Plus Power Users

Duke Energy has reached a proposed settlement with customer advocates and technology companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Meta to shift grid expansion costs for data centers to large power users consuming more than 50MW. Under the agreement, such users signing service agreements after June 1, 2026, must pay for dedicated infrastructure upfront and provide collateral for shared transmission upgrades, with regulatory approval expected by mid-November.