Duke Energy’s Carbon Plan Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a planning document used to communicate strategies for delivering reliable electricity at the lowest cost, typically on a 10 to 20 year horizon. When the CPIRP is presented to the North Carolina Utility Commission (NCUC), stakeholders have the opportunity to intervene, or legally enter the discussion.
In 2024, the City of Asheville and Buncombe County formally intervened and commented, or submitted an opinion, regarding data access. These actions are part of the Council-adopted Municipal Climate Action Plan (MCAP) Activity #15, which aims to ensure the City contributes to important discussions about the future of energy in the state and region. These actions mark the third time the City has intervened in an NCUC docket related to carbon and renewables. If you are wondering why data access matters check out this article from the Energy News Network.
The CPIRP is a significant policy document that impacts the City’s ability to meet our carbon reduction and renewable energy goals because all of the electricity we use, except our own renewable production, comes from Duke’s energy resources. The percentage of electricity produced by Duke Energy Progress using renewable energy significantly impacts the percentage of renewable energy used by the City.
On November 1, 2024, following interventions, expert witness testimony, and negotiations, the NCUC issued its latest Carbon Plan Integrated Resource Plan (CPIRP) order. The order agreed with Duke Energy’s updated energy projections and shifted a previously set timeline of 2030 for Duke to achieve a 70% emissions reduction target, to be met “at the earliest date possible,” without specifying a firm deadline or interim target dates.
Though the CPIRP includes renewable solar and wind energy expansion, they won’t be operational until after 2031, while the City aims to power our municipal operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030. Additionally, coal plants won’t be retired until 2036 and the plan includes a significant build-out of fossil fuel natural gas facilities, both of which have large associated carbon emissions. Those realities mean that meeting our goals will be more challenging and our 100% renewable goal will likely rely heavily on renewable energy credits (RECs) if the City is to achieve the target by 2030.
The City will continue to engage in policy, regulatory, and programmatic discussions and activities at the state and utility level to maximize opportunities to meet City Council’s goals for both municipal operations and community-wide. This is one more example of the MCAP in action!