{"id":3086,"date":"2026-06-23T15:35:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T15:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3086"},"modified":"2026-06-23T15:35:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T15:35:37","slug":"duke-energy-makes-rare-cut-to-nc-rate-hike-request-after-customer-complaints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3086","title":{"rendered":"Duke Energy makes rare cut to NC rate hike request after customer complaints"},"content":{"rendered":"

Duke Energy Carolinas has reduced its proposed residential rate increase from about 18% to 11.6% after months of criticism<\/a> from customers, consumer advocates and state officials.<\/p>\n

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The reduction, filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission ahead of a July hearing, is the first time the company has voluntarily cut a rate<\/a> request by this much during the rebuttal phase of a rate case, Duke Energy said. The move comes just before a July 7 evidentiary hearing and follows months of customers telling regulators<\/a> higher electric bills would force difficult choices involving groceries, housing, transportation and medical care.<\/p>\n

Attorney General Jeff Jackson<\/a>, Gov. Josh Stein and the state Public Staff also argued Duke\u2019s original request was too high.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last few months, we have listened carefully to feedback from customers and stakeholders,\u201d Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton said. \u201cIn response, we have proposed an alternative path that lessens the projected cost impact on customers while continuing to make the investments necessary to serve North Carolina\u2019s growing energy needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

In testimony filed to the utilities commission, Duke Energy North Carolina President Kendal Bowman said the company reduced its request after hearing affordability concerns. Bowman called the move a \u201csignificant and unprecedented voluntary reduction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under the revised proposal, Duke is seeking a cumulative rate increase of 9.3% over two years, down from its previous request of 14.3%. The residential increase would drop from about 18% to 11.6%. The new request shows a proposed 7.5% increase in 2027 followed by a 4.2% increase in 2028, according to Norton.<\/p>\n

Duke also reduced its requested return on equity, a key measure of utility profit, from 10.95% to 10.48%. Duke said the changes lowered its requested revenue increase from roughly $578 million to $264 million.<\/p>\n

Duke said it reduced the request by lowering its proposed profit rate, taking some large-customer infrastructure costs out and passing along additional storm-related savings to customers.<\/p>\n

Bowman said Duke attended public witness hearings around the state and heard customers\u2019 concerns directly.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe know and understand that the costs to maintain reliable service are borne by our customers through the rates they pay,\u201d Bowman wrote. \u201cAfter hearing those concerns directly, we took further action to evaluate whether a lower request was possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The attorney general has been one of the most vocal opponents of Duke\u2019s proposal. Earlier this month, Jackson urged regulators to significantly reduce the utility\u2019s requested increase and lower its profit rate, arguing customers could save more than $1 billion while Duke continued providing reliable service.<\/p>\n

Jackson highlighted the reduction Monday in a social media post, calling it a \u201cstep in the right direction\u201d but arguing the revised request remains too high.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat happened after our office objected, along with Public Staff, other intervenors, and many North Carolinians,\u201d Jackson wrote. \u201cWe\u2019ll keep making our case for lower rates \u2014 and for making sure families don\u2019t get stuck paying unfair costs for data centers and other large users.\u201d<\/p>\n

A major point of dispute in the case has been who should pay for infrastructure needed to serve rapidly growing electricity demand from data centers and other large industrial customers. Jackson and other consumer advocates have argued residential customers should not shoulder those costs, while Duke maintains large users ultimately benefit other ratepayers.<\/p>\n

The Utilities Commission is scheduled to begin hearing evidence in the case July 7. Regulators could approve, modify or reject Duke\u2019s request before new rates take effect next year.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 11:15 AM<\/span> with the headline “Duke Energy makes rare cut to NC rate hike request after customer complaints.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Longtime leader of Raleigh\u2019s oldest restaurant dies at age 68<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Duke Energy Carolinas reduces its residential rate increase from about 18% to 11.6% after customer complaints and statewide public hearings ahead of July NCUC hearing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3085,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nDuke Energy makes rare cut to NC rate hike request after customer complaints - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3086\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Duke Energy makes rare cut to NC rate hike request after customer complaints - Durham Moving Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Duke Energy Carolinas reduces its residential rate increase from about 18% to 11.6% after customer complaints and statewide public hearings ahead of July NCUC hearing.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3086\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Durham Moving Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-23T15:35:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bf1f081e7f06a3ab66052e5f6015fd85\"},\"headline\":\"Duke Energy makes rare cut to NC rate hike request after customer complaints\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-23T15:35:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086\"},\"wordCount\":638,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/2b66637afd5d350034e9d2ed3dee5572.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Read today's Edition\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086\",\"name\":\"Duke Energy makes rare cut to NC rate hike request after customer complaints - Durham Moving Hub\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/2b66637afd5d350034e9d2ed3dee5572.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-23T15:35:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bf1f081e7f06a3ab66052e5f6015fd85\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/?p=3086#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/2b66637afd5d350034e9d2ed3dee5572.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/durhammovinghub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/2b66637afd5d350034e9d2ed3dee5572.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":674,\"caption\":\"Former Charlotte mayor Jennifer Roberts speaks during a rally outside the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. 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