Duke Energy expects electric-service contracts for its 15.4-gigawatt late-stage data-center pipeline by the first half of 2027, executives said on Nov. 5, setting a key milestone for new power demand.
The company said 7.8 gigawatts of the pipeline are covered by signed agreements. Projects totaling 5.2 gigawatts are under construction and are scheduled to begin taking energy in the second half of 2027 and into 2028.
Duke said finalizing contracts for large-load customers could add $5 billion to $10 billion in generation and transmission investment to its five-year plan. An SEC-filed earnings release says the company is pursuing a generation build aimed at adding 16 gigawatts of capacity by 2031, a plan also covered in EconoTimes’ earlier report on Duke’s third-quarter results.
Duke Energy President and CEO Harry Sideris reaffirmed the contract target during the earnings call. Executive Vice President and CFO Brian Savoy said a separate North Carolina settlement with Public Staff and several large customers over a proposed large-load tariff formalized protections for existing customers. Savoy said data centers coming online would bring billions of dollars in benefits to customers and communities.
Duke plans to give more details on its updated financial plan during its fourth-quarter earnings call in February.
