Duke Energy’s natural gas expansion near Amazon Data Center faces public hearing

Duke Energy is advancing a proposal to construct a 240-megawatt natural gas combustion turbine at its Sherwood H. Smith Jr. Energy Complex in Richmond County, North Carolina, near Hamlet. The North Carolina Utilities Commission is scheduled to hold a virtual public hearing on the plan on Tuesday evening. If approved, construction would commence in late 2027, with the unit operational by late 2029. The new turbine would utilize the existing natural gas pipeline at the complex, which already generates over 2,200 megawatts. The project has garnered significant attention due to its location adjacent to Amazon's massive $10 billion, 800-acre data center campus, which is currently under construction. While Duke Energy states it does not build generation for individual customers, the site's readiness for such expansions is considered a key factor for economic development in the region. Amid surging demand, partly attributed to data centers, Duke Energy has also sought approximately 15% rate increases across North Carolina to fund new generation capacity and necessary grid upgrades.