North Carolina regulators have approved Duke Energy‘s plan to replace some of its coal-fired power units with natural gas-fired units.
In December, the North Carolina Utilities Commission issued orders supporting the transition to gas-fired generation. On December 20, the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) granted air permits for the new gas plants. Duke Energy aims to replace two of the four coal-fired units at the Roxboro plant in Person County with gas-fired combined cycle units by 2029. These new units will have a generation capacity of 1,360 MW. The company plans to add the new turbines as part of the Person County Energy Complex, retiring the coal-fired Units 1 and 4, while continuing to operate Units 2 and 3 until 2034.
Additionally, Duke Energy intends to replace two of the four coal-fired units at the Marshall plant in Catawba County with gas-fired units totaling 850 MW. The Marshall station, operational since 1965, will see these changes in the coming years.
“We appreciate the support from Person and Catawba counties. We look forward to working together as we transition to cleaner energy while maintaining grid reliability and affordability for North Carolina’s economy,” said Bill Norton, a spokesperson for Duke Energy.
Duke Energy has stated that natural gas will play a key role in maintaining grid stability as the utility moves away from coal, particularly during the shift towards renewable energy sources. Last year, Duke revealed plans to have at least 17.5 GW of solar energy in its portfolio within 15 years.
The approval of the gas units is part of the Utilities Commission’s broader effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and plan for future energy needs. However, critics argue that Duke Energy should focus more on renewable energy investments.
“We are disappointed with the permits granted. The trend toward increasing natural gas development contradicts the state’s clean energy goals,” said Munashe Magarira, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center.
As part of the DEQ’s approval, Duke is required to shut down the two remaining coal-fired boilers at the Marshall plant once the new gas units are up and running. Duke also noted that there will be a period after 2029 when both new gas-fired turbines and the remaining coal-fired units at Roxboro will operate together, providing over 4 GW of generation capacity before the coal units are fully retired.
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