CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Duke Energy is asking North Carolina regulators to allow them to raise rates for the first time in three years.
The power company is asking for an 18% increase. If approved, customers would see about a $13 raise in their bill beginning in 2024, with similar raises in 2025 and 2026.
For context, a typical Duke Energy customer in the Carolinas would see their monthly bills rise from about $115 a month to $127.
Duke Energy said the hikes will improve equipment to avoid rolling blackouts like what North Carolinians saw during cold temperatures on Christmas Eve. The money would also toward making the power grid more secure.
Thursday's proposal also includes a new program for low-income customers to reduce their bills and new energy efficiency programs offered to all customers.
The utilities commission will decide whether to approve or modify Duke's rate request. The commission is made up of seven members chosen by the governor.
Duke's rate requests come after Duke Energy substations in Moore County were damaged by gunfire in December, knocking out power to 45,000 customers. Then on Christmas Eve, hundreds of thousands of customers in North and South Carolina were subjected to rolling blackouts during extreme cold, as power demand soared but supplies dwindled.
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