Climate Change

As North Carolina continues decarbonizing its energy supply, giant batteries are one tool for keeping the lights on when the sun isn’t shining and the wind stops blowing. Duke Energy has brought a 50-megawatt battery online at the site of the former Allen coal plant in Gaston County.

This week’s unseasonably warm weather is a reminder that free energy abounds in the form of the sun’s rays. A new program aims to give Charlotte’s low-income residents access to that energy, free of cost.

Duke plans to replace its existing coal power plants with nuclear reactors before 2040. These power plants take an average of 10 years to build. The utility submitted an early site permit application for potential new nuclear development in North Carolina.

President Trump has railed against renewable energy — especially wind turbines. But for one county in eastern North Carolina, they’re producing some real economic tailwinds.

Duke Energy has proposed steep rate hikes for residential customers, starting in 2027. Some customers see a discrepancy between the company’s profits, forecasted savings and these requested rate increases.

State regulators hosted two public hearings on Duke Energy’s proposal to merge its two Carolina companies into one entity, Duke Energy Carolinas. Tuesday night, two members of the public weighed in on the combination.

A report from the watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project found that the North Carolina agency responsible for protecting the environment has shrunk rapidly over the last 15 years.

A new study from UNC–Chapel Hill warns that New Bern could lose most of its conserved wetlands as sea levels rise.

North Carolina’s rural communities are at the epicenter of a new wave of data center development. Many residents have expressed uncertainty — or even hostility — about their energy-hungry incoming neighbors.

When Hurricane Helene flooded the town of Black Mountain, community members were stranded. The resulting blackouts meant residents couldn’t call for help. But one group of volunteers is resurrecting an old technology to face a new generation of storms.