ReferenceLarge-load power by market
Carolinas: what a 50 MW connection costs under Duke Energy Carolinas
What does a 50 MW connection cost in Carolinas?
In short. In Carolinas, Duke Energy Carolinas connects a 50 MW load under Schedule HLF (High Load Factor) large-load provisions proposed in the 2026 rate case; existing contracts with minimum demand and credit support, docket NCUC E-7 Sub 1329 (filed late June 2026; pending). Minimum bill: 75% of contracted demand. Term: 10 or 15 years depending on load size. Realistic energization: 2029 to 2030. Open Factory's Large-Load Cost Table, as of August 21, 2026.
Facts
| Market | Carolinas, NC/SC (Duke (non-RTO)) |
|---|---|
| Utility | Duke Energy Carolinas |
| Tariff or rule | Schedule HLF (High Load Factor) large-load provisions proposed in the 2026 rate case; existing contracts with minimum demand and credit support |
| Docket | NCUC E-7 Sub 1329 (filed late June 2026; pending) |
| Status | pending; tariff would start in 2027 |
| Large-load threshold | 50 MW at 80% load factor or 100 MW at any load factor |
| Study fee | not published in sources opened |
| Security or collateral | security (cash or letter of credit) covering the minimum bills; existing contracts use credit support and refundable capital advances |
| Minimum bill | 75% of contracted demand |
| Contract term | 10 or 15 years depending on load size |
| Ramp | not published |
| Exit fee | 25% of remaining bills |
| CIAC exposure | refundable capital advances in existing contracts; Public Staff asked that ~$200M of $247M of proposed grid upgrades be assigned to large loads |
| Realistic energization, 50 MW | 2029 to 2030 |
| Verification | PARTIAL (terms from Latitude Media reporting on the filing; docket documents not opened) |
| Data as of | August 21, 2026 |
Questions
What does a 50 MW connection cost in Carolinas?
Duke Energy Carolinas: study fee not published in sources opened; collateral security (cash or letter of credit) covering the minimum bills; existing contracts use credit support and refundable capital advances; minimum bill 75% of contracted demand; term 10 or 15 years depending on load size.
When can a 50 MW load be energized in Carolinas?
2029 to 2030. Duke has 7.6 GW of executed data center agreements (two-thirds under construction) and 7.8 GW late-stage; 14 GW of new generation by 2031; no market-level JLL figure.
Which tariff applies to large loads in Carolinas?
Schedule HLF (High Load Factor) large-load provisions proposed in the 2026 rate case; existing contracts with minimum demand and credit support; docket NCUC E-7 Sub 1329 (filed late June 2026; pending); status: pending; tariff would start in 2027.
Is this rate proposed or approved?
Not yet final: pending; tariff would start in 2027. The table carries the filed terms and the docket to watch.
Sources
- Open Factory Large-Load Cost Table
- latitudemedia.com (2026-07-08)
- utilitydive.com (2026-05)
- eta-publications.lbl.gov (Appendix 1)
Data as of August 21, 2026. This page is rebuilt from the same table the Large-Load Interconnection Cost, the API and the MCP server read, so the figures cannot differ. Also available as plain markdown. Cite as Open Factory, Carolinas: what a 50 MW connection costs under Duke Energy Carolinas, August 21, 2026.
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