Duke Energy has asked state and federal regulators for permission to combine its two electric utilities in the Carolinas.
Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress have operated as separate utilities since the 2012 merger of Duke Energy and Progress Energy. Although legally considered a merger, Duke says the proposed combination is more in line with reorganizing two corporate divisions into one. The company says it will create a single utility, streamlining operations and reducing costs for customers by a billion dollars.
The Charlotte Observer reports Duke Energy predicts that over the next 15 years, Carolina customers’ annual electric use will increase by about 58,000 gigawatt-hours.
The targeted effective date is January of 2027.
