North Carolina and nuclear power
North Carolina plays a significant role in the United States' energy landscape, notably through its reliance on nuclear power, alongside hydroelectric and coal-fired plants. The state's leading energy provider, Duke Energy, has deep historical roots dating back to 1900, evolving from a hydroelectric focus to operating three nuclear power plants—Brunswick, McGuire, and Harris—by 2022. Nuclear energy accounted for 32% of the state's electricity generation, highlighting North Carolina's position as a leading producer of nuclear power. Despite this, the state still grapples with high greenhouse gas emissions, ranking eighth nationally in electricity generation and retail energy sales.
In addition to nuclear, North Carolina has made strides in renewable energy, particularly solar power, which surpassed hydroelectric generation in 2017. The state has a diverse energy portfolio that includes natural gas, coal, and renewable sources, with a commitment to increasing the share of renewables in its energy mix. However, a significant portion of power still relies on fossil fuels, often imported from other states. With a growing demand for energy driven by factors such as high air-conditioning use and electric heating, North Carolina's energy sector continues to evolve while addressing both production and environmental challenges.
North Carolina and nuclear power
Summary: North Carolina has long relied on hydroelectric, nuclear power, and coal-fired power plants to meet its rising energy demand, serviced by the state’s leading provider of energy, Duke Energy.
The history and development of energy production in North Carolina are strongly tied to the development of the state’s own Charlotte-based Duke Energy, one of the largest energy companies in the United States. Duke Energy began as Catawba Power Company in 1900 and became the Southern Power Company in 1904, led by W. Gill Wylie, James Buchanan Duke, and William States Lee in order to increase opportunities for industry in the state. The company focused on hydroelectric power stations, and its first power plant, Catawba Hydro Station, located along the Catawba River, began providing power to the Victoria Cotton Mills in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in 1904. In succeeding years, the company focused on developing hydroelectric power for the state’s growing textile industry and became a very successful and influential energy company.
The rapid increase in eclectic power demand after World War II helped Duke to expand its residential market and to develop its first nuclear power plant, Keowee-Toxaway, in 1965. Since then, Duke Energy has increased its number of nuclear power plants in the state to three (Brunswick, McGuire, and Harris) and also operates coal-fired plants, conventional hydroelectric plants, and natural gas turbines. In 2005, Duke Energy purchased the Cincinnati-based Cinergy Corporation, expanding its customer base to the Midwest. In 2012, Duke Energy merged with Raleigh-based Progress Energy to create the largest electric utility in the United States, with 7.1 million customers in six states, including Duke’s service area of western and central North and South Carolina and Progress’s service area of eastern and central North and South Carolina. The merged companies retained the Duke Energy name, and as of 2024, provided 54.8 gigawatts of generating capacity.
Production and Consumption
North Carolina is a leading producer and consumer of electricity. In 2022, 32 percent of the state’s electric power was generated by nuclear power. Coal-fired power plants, natural gas, and renewable energy sources such as hydropower produced the rest of the state’s electricity. With three nuclear power plants, the state was a leading producer of nuclear energy. Despite its nuclear power sources and growing renewable energy sector, North Carolina's greenhouse gas emissions remained high.
In 2022, North Carolina ranked eighth in net generation of electricity in the United States. It also ranked eighth in total retail sales of energy, despite its average retail price of 9.60 cents per kilowatt-hour. Summer air-conditioning use and more than 60 percent of North Carolinian households using electricity for home heating both contribute to the state's high energy consumption.
The top retailers of electricity in the state were Duke Energy Carolinas, Progress Energy Carolinas, and Dominion North Carolina Power. Twenty-six cooperatives and ninety-two municipal electric utilities also provide electricity to North Carolina's residences, businesses, and industry.
Fossil Fuel Imports
Much of the electricity generated in North Carolina comes from fossil fuel sources from other states or from foreign sources. The majority of the state’s electricity (36.9 percent in 2024) was generated natural gas-fueled power plants. About 10.3 percent of electricity was generated by using coal shipped by rail from West Virginia or Kentucky. Five major pipelines brought fuel to the state: one brought petroleum from the Gulf Coast, another propane to its terminus in Apex, and three others brought natural gas from the south and west. Additional petroleum sources arrived from the ports of coastal cities Wilmington and Morehead City.
Renewable Energy Sources
In 2007, the state of North Carolina adopted a renewable energy and energy efficiency portfolio requiring utilities to meet 12.5 percent of demand through renewable energy sources or energy efficiency measures by 2021. Electric utility member corporations and municipalities selling power were also mandated to meet a 10 percent standard by 2018. As of 2024, the state’s renewable net generation produced 17.9 percent of the state’s total net electricity generation. Most of that energy was produced from conventional hydroelectric prior to 2017, when it was overtaken by solar power.
Solar power, hydropower, municipal solid waste, and landfill gas, and other forms of biomass contributed to North Carolina's energy power. By 2022, the state had 6,500 megawatts of solar facilities and was the fourth-largest solar power producer in the country. North Carolina was also ranked among the highest in wind power potential, particularly in its western Appalachian Mountain region and offshore along its coast. The state's first utility-scale installation, the Amazon Wind Farm US East, launched operations in 2017 and can generate up to 208 megawatts of electricity.
Bibliography
“About Duke Energy.” Duke Energy, 2024, www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
“About Us.” NC GreenPower, 2024, www.ncgreenpower.org/about-us. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
"Energy and Climate." North Carolina State Energy Office, 2024, www.deq.nc.gov/energy-and-climate. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
"North Carolina." US Energy Information Administration, 15 Feb. 2024, www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NC. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.