Archives: Press Releases

RALEIGH, N.C. (September 29, 2025) — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., joins its member communities and public power utilities nationwide in recognizing Public Power Week—Oct. 5-11, 2025—an annual opportunity to shine a light on the municipally owned electric systems that power the homes and businesses in more than 2,000 communities across the country.

Recognized during the first full week of October every year, Public Power Week celebrates the unique benefits public power utilities provide to their customers and communities—advantages like unbeaten reliability, local control, and a focus on people, not profit.

“Because public power utilities are not-for-profit and community-focused, they provide tremendous value to their customers by keeping resources in the community to support local needs,” said Roy Jones, CEO of ElectriCities, the membership organization that provides services and support to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—collectively known as public power.

“These strengths, combined with unbeaten reliability, are some of the many benefits public power delivers to communities,” Jones said.

Public power providers—electric utilities—are a division of local government. Like public schools and libraries, they are owned by the community and run by boards of local officials who are accountable to their citizens.

“Local control is one of the hallmarks of public power that sets it apart from other utilities and enables public power utilities to quickly respond to community needs,” said Jones. “Public power lineworkers, customer service representatives, engineers, and other specialists often live in the communities they serve, and they take pride in keeping the lights on for their neighbors.”

In North Carolina, public power illuminates the homes and workplaces of nearly 1.6 million people, providing safe, affordable, and sustainable electricity with a reliability rating of 99.99%—more reliable than other power providers in the state. When the power does go out, public power lineworkers restore power 50% faster than other energy providers.

Public power communities are part of a mutual aid network that spans the state, region, and country, providing invaluable support during hurricanes, ice storms, and other natural disasters while maintaining superior reliability and safety records.

“As we mark Public Power Week, we acknowledge that delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable power is a constant, vital responsibility,” Jones said. “This week, and throughout the year, we celebrate these benefits that provide a better quality of life for everyone in our public power communities.”

RALEIGH, N.C. (August 26, 2025) — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., presented 23 communities with Public Power Awards of Excellence at the 2025 ElectriCities Annual Conference held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This represents a record number of communities recognized for excellence.

Public Power Awards of Excellence reflect public power’s five strategic priorities, driving success for public power in the Carolinas and Virginia. The awards recognize public power providers for developing a future-focused mindset, strengthening public power, providing superior power, delivering customer-centered innovation, and prioritizing their people as their greatest asset.

“These 23 communities are shining examples of excellence in public power,” said ElectriCities Chief Operating Officer Kathy Moyer. “Their dedication to keeping their customers and communities powered is evident through their hard work and commitment to delivering reliable electricity.”

The FUTURE-FOCUSED AWARD recognizes communities with a future-focused mindset. This year’s winners are:

• Albemarle
• Apex
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Kinston
• Morganton
• New Bern
• New River Light & Power
• Tarboro
• Western Carolina University
• Wilson

The STRENGTHEN PUBLIC POWER AWARD celebrates communities that build public and political support for public power. This year’s winners are:

• Albemarle
• Apex
• Fayetteville PWC
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Kinston
• Lexington
• Monroe
• Morganton
• New Bern
• New River Light & Power
• Rocky Mount
• Southport
• Statesville
• Tarboro
• Wake Forest
• Western Carolina University
• Wilson

The PROVIDE SUPERIOR POWER AWARD highlights communities that deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity. This year’s winners are:

• Apex
• Fayetteville PWC
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Kinston
• Lexington
• Monroe
• Morganton
• New Bern
• New River Light & Power
• Rocky Mount
• Statesville
• Tarboro
• Wake Forest
• Washington
• Wilson

The CUSTOMER-CENTERED INNOVATION AWARD recognizes public power providers that innovate and invest to better serve their customers and communities. This year’s winners are:

• Albemarle
• Fayetteville PWC
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Kinston
• Lexington
• Maiden
• Morganton
• New Bern
• New River Light & Power
• Rocky Mount
• Statesville
• Tarboro
• Western Carolina University
• Wilson

The PEOPLE AWARD distinguishes cities and towns that leverage their people as their greatest asset. This year’s winners are:

• Albemarle
• Apex
• Ayden
• Cornelius
• Fayetteville PWC
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Huntersville
• Kinston
• Monroe
• New Bern
• New River Light & Power
• Pineville
• Rocky Mount
• Statesville
• Wake Forest
• Western Carolina University
• Wilson

This year’s award winners represent some of the state’s smallest and largest public power communities.

“All of us at ElectriCities are pleased to recognize these deserving award recipients,” said Moyer. “We commend them for a job well done in 2024 and we look forward to what these communities, and the professionals who power them, will accomplish in the years to come. The value they bring to their customers is immeasurable, as they continue to innovate and invest in ways that better serve their communities.”

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 10, 2025) — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., celebrates and honors electric lineworkers all year, especially during Lineworker Appreciation Days in April.

Monday, April 14, is North Carolina Lineworker Appreciation Day, and Friday, April 18, is National Lineworker Appreciation Day. Both days are designated to uplift the professionals who keep the electricity on in our communities.

“We expect electricity to flow with the flip of a switch, but we would be left in the dark without the critical work electric lineworkers perform,” said ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones. ElectriCities is the membership organization that provides power supply and related critical services to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—collectively known as public power.

In North Carolina, public power lineworkers keep the power flowing for nearly 1.3 million people in more than 70 public power cities and towns throughout the state. Across the nation, public power lineworkers support about 2,000 municipalities, serving one out of every seven Americans.

“Often living in the communities they serve, lineworkers dedicate their skills and hard work to ensuring that we can all enjoy the comforts of modern life—from life-saving heating and air conditioning to a child’s nightlight shining in the dark,” said Jones.

Lineworkers’ dedication doesn’t end at the edges of their communities. When the need arises, public power lineworkers travel across the state and the country within a mutual aid network to help fellow public power lineworkers restore power after disasters and other emergencies.

“Take Hurricane Helene for example,” said Craig Batchelor, Manager of Safety & Training at ElectriCities. “When that historic storm struck, public power lineworkers across the ElectriCities membership traveled to hard-hit areas to help local lineworkers get the power back on.”

These first responders light the way for other first responders. They bring the initial sign of recovery to an area hit by disaster.

Lineworkers do all this with an unwavering commitment to safety protocols. Lineworkers in ElectriCities member cities and towns regularly participate in safety training and career development programs like ElectriCities’ Apprenticeship Program.

Thanks in part to the dedication of public power lineworkers, public power customers enjoy more reliable electricity than customers of other types of utilities. On average, public power utilities resolve outages 52% quicker than other utilities, according to the latest report from the American Public Power Association. They’re 41% quicker on average than other utilities following a major event like a hurricane.

North Carolina public power customers enjoy even better reliability, with outages lasting only a third as long as customers of other providers. The state’s public power lineworkers keep the power on 99.99% of the time. That means, on average, North Carolina’s public power customers experience less than one outage a year that lasts less than one hour.

“It’s clear that lineworkers help power our lives,” said Jones. “I’m proud to celebrate the contributions of these hometown heroes today and every day.”

RALEIGH, N.C. — Participants in the Carolinas Transmission Planning Collaborative (CTPC) have identified 121 major transmission projects as part of the 2024-2034 Collaborative Transmission Plan (“2024 Plan”) that will improve electric transmission infrastructure. The projects represent $2.956 billion in new transmission investments during the next decade. This includes 99 reliability projects representing $2.076 billion in investments and 22 approved public policy projects representing around $880 million in investments.

The projects identified in the 2024 Plan are expected to enhance system reliability and resiliency by replacing aging infrastructure, supporting the addition of new generation resources, and potentially enabling increased economic electricity transfers across the transmission network.

The 2024 Plan report can be viewed on the CTPC website under the “References” section at https://carolinastpc.org/.

The 2024 Plan, relative to the 2023 Plan, includes 37 new Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and 15 new Duke Energy Progress (DEP) reliability projects totaling $365 million in new transmission investments. Appendices C and D in the 2024 Plan report contain the specific details on all 99 reliability projects identified in the 2024 Plan, which includes 47 remaining reliability projects from the 2023 Plan report. The in-service dates and cost estimates for some planned or underway 2024 reliability projects have been revised from the previous year’s plan report.

The 2024 Plan, relative to the 2023 Plan, includes four new DEC and three new DEP public policy projects totaling $382 million in new transmission investments resulting from the Public Policy Planning Process. These seven new projects, added to the previously approved 15 public policy projects, bring the total to around $880 million in new transmission investments for public policy projects. Appendices E and F in the 2024 Plan report contain the specific details on each of these 22 approved public policy projects.

The CTPC, formerly called the North Carolina Transmission Planning Collaborative (NCTPC), was formed in 2005 by the load-serving entities (LSEs) to ensure DEC and DEP develop a shared plan for electric transmission system enhancements in North Carolina and South Carolina. Those LSEs include DEC; DEP; ElectriCities of North Carolina, which serves public power communities across the Carolinas; and North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, the generation and transmission branch of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. In January 2025, Central Electric Power Cooperative joined as an LSE participant in the CTPC.

Since the CTPC’s inception in 2005, transmission projects totaling around $4.75 billion have been identified in the organization’s plans. More than $1.4 billion in projects have been placed in service through the end of 2024. Today, about $2.95 billion in projects remain in the planning stage to support reliability and ongoing public policy initiatives. Another $400 million in projects were deferred until after 2034 or cancelled as a result of changing transmission system requirements. The plan is updated annually.

The CTPC was established to provide participants and other stakeholders an opportunity to participate in the electric transmission planning process and develop a single coordinated transmission plan that includes reliability, resource supply additions, public policy, and local economic study transmission planning considerations. The group’s priority is to appropriately balance costs, benefits and risks associated with the use of transmission and generation resources.

“Effective planning is an essential part of supporting the growing energy needs of the Carolinas and the customers served by our transmission system,” said Avni Patel of Duke Energy, Chair of the CTPC Oversight/Steering Committee (OSC). “The CTPC provides a transparent and collaborative process for entities who rely on the transmission system to coordinate plans for future enhancements in ways that optimize cost effectiveness and reliability.”

The CTPC process includes the active participation of other market participants and stakeholders through a Transmission Advisory Group (TAG), which is open to all interested parties. Stakeholders interested in joining the TAG or receiving information about the CTPC process can sign up on the CTPC website at https://carolinastpc.org/.

Another goal of the CTPC is to study the strength of the transmission infrastructure of DEC and DEP. The scope of the 2024 CTPC study included a base reliability analysis for transmission needs to meet load growth between 2024 and 2034. For a variety of reasons, such as load growth, generation retirements, or power purchase agreements expiring, participants and other stakeholders have the opportunity to evaluate other potential economic upgrades as a means to increase transmission access to potential supply resources inside and outside the DEC and DEP Balancing Areas.

The CTPC received one Local Economic Study request from the TAG stakeholders for consideration in the 2024 study. This proposed study was a hypothetical transfer of 1,500 MW from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to the DEC balancing area (DUK). The Oversight Steering Committee (OSC) of the CTPC decided to examine the impact of eight different hypothetical transfers into, out of, and through the DEC and DEP systems—including the TAG-submitted 1,500 MW transfer—under the Local Economic Planning Process. The results are documented in Section VI of the 2024 Plan report. The total cost of these hypothetical projects is $152 million. These projects are neither proposed nor included as additions to the 2024 Plan.

For the 2023 Study, the CTPC received two Public Policy Study requests. The first was the interconnection of high volumes of solar and solar plus storage to the DEC and DEP transmission systems. The second was the generation retirements and resource supply additions as provided in the 2022 Duke Carbon Plan Portfolios.  The final scope of the 2023 Public Policy Study assumed a combination of scenarios from these two requests, incorporating input from the OSC in consultation and coordination with the two study requestors. The results of the Public Policy Study analysis were published in a June 19, 2024, study report which included the 15 approved RZEP 1.0 public policy projects.

The results of the 2023 Public Policy Study show completion of the RZEP 2.0 projects are needed to interconnect a portfolio of resources similar to the 2023 CPIRP P3 Fall Base portfolio, recently approved by the NCUC and the S.C. Public Service Commission. As part of the development of the 2024 Plan, seven new approved public policy projects were identified as RZEP 2.0 projects needed for future solar generation proposed for compliance with the Carbon Plan goals. They are listed in Appendix E of the 2024 Plan report with detailed project descriptions in Appendix F. The total estimated cost for the seven public policy projects is $382 million. This cost estimate excludes any reductions resulting from the August 6, 2024, DOE IIJA $57 million grant awarded for the proposed RZEP 2.0 Lee-Milburnie 230 kV line rebuild project. See Appendix G in the 2024 Plan report for a comparison of this year’s Plan to the updated 2023 Plan.

During the CTPC process, an administrative consultant serves as a facilitator who chairs the TAG and solicits input from the stakeholders through the open TAG meetings. Richard Wodyka, the current CTPC consultant, can be reached at rich.wodyka@gmail.com. If you have any comments or questions on the CTPC process or the 2024-2034 Collaborative Transmission Plan Study Report, contact Richard Wodyka via email or phone at 484-431-0335.

For media inquiries, contact the corporate media relations representatives at each entity:

Duke Energy

–    Jeff Brooks: 919.522.1168 | Jeff.Brooks@duke-energy.com

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives

–    Townley Venters: 919.645.2432 |  townley.venters@ncemcs.com

ElectriCities of North Carolina (municipals)

–    Elizabeth Kadick: 919.760.6285 | ekadick@electricities.org

Central Electric Power Cooperative

–   Avery Wilks: 803.374.3115 | avery.wilks@ecsc.org

 

Hurricane Helene heavily impacted ElectriCities member communities in western North Carolina and South Carolina. In the wake of the destruction, other ElectriCities members across North Carolina rose to the occasion and traveled to hard-hit areas to get the power back on.

ElectriCities is the membership organization that provides power supply and related critical services to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—collectively known as public power. Through a network of mutual aid, ElectriCities member utilities send their linecrews, trucks, supplies, and equipment to assist communities when disaster strikes, and the power goes out.

At the peak of outages from Helene, about 48,000 public power customers in North Carolina were without electricity. After five days, ElectriCities member linecrews had reduced that number to about 10,000. Six days later, major restoration efforts in ElectriCities’ North Carolina member communities were complete.

That swift response is thanks to monumental efforts from lineworkers and public power staff across ElectriCities membership—public power communities that requested help for their customers and those that provided mutual aid by sending approximately 30 crews, along with equipment and materials.

“Thankfully, power was restored both quickly and safely. No ElectriCities member crews reported any lineworker injuries,” said Nick Whitley, Mutual Aid Coordinator and Supervisor of Safety and Training at ElectriCities. “Just like any good linecrew, public power communities worked together to do what needs to be done.”

Getting the lights back after Hurricane Helene took hard work and dedication from first responders and neighbors near and far, including lineworkers, customer service representatives, and other utility staff.

“It was a heavy lift that required a lot of people working together, but many hands made light work,” said Craig Batchelor, Manager of Safety and Training at ElectriCities. “We appreciate everyone who assisted with mutual aid.”

As hurricane season barreled on, public power communities continued to provide mutual aid. When Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit, ElectriCities members were there to support public power neighbors farther south.

“We were in the midst of wrapping up one and had to head into another,” said Batchelor.

Whatever the storm, public power communities are ready to support one another through the strength of mutual aid.

ElectriCities thanks the communities that provided and received mutual aid.

Communities that Provided Mutual Aid After Hurricane Helene:

Albemarle
Apex
Clayton
Concord
Fayetteville PWC
Gastonia
Greenville Utilities Commission
High Point
Kinston
Lexington
Lumberton
Monroe
New Bern
Newton
Rocky Mount
Statesville
Tarboro
Wake Forest
Washington
Wilson Energy

Communities that Received Mutual Aid After Hurricane Helene:

Abbeville, S.C.
Cherryville
Drexel
Easley, S.C.
Forest City
Greenwood, S.C.
Kings Mountain
Laurens, S.C.
Morganton
New River Light & Power (Boone)
Newberry, S.C.
Prosperity, S.C.
Shelby

RALEIGH, N.C. (OCTOBER 16, 2024) — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., announced today that it has named Scott Jones Chief Financial Officer. Scott will succeed Tim Tunis who earlier this year announced his retirement effective April 2025 after 20 years with ElectriCities.

Scott has over 25 years of experience in the energy industry, including 19 years in public power. Most recently, Scott served as Chief Financial Officer and Assistant General Manager for Snohomish County Public Utility District in Everett, WA. Scott began his public power career with Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) where he served as Controller, VP-Audit and Risk Management, and SVP-Chief Administrative Officer during his tenure. Following his time at MEAG, Scott joined North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) as Senior Director of Finance and later Chief Financial Officer. Scott is also a former member of the Board of Directors for The Energy Authority (TEA).

“We are excited to welcome Scott to the ElectriCities team and look forward to officially having him on board in January,” said Roy Jones, ElectriCities Chief Executive Officer. “His skill set and decades of industry and public power experience are a great match for our organization and I am confident of the value he will bring ElectriCities and our members.”

As Chief Financial Officer, Jones will be responsible for all corporate financial matters, including advising the organization’s internal staff, ElectriCities’ Board of Directors, and the Power Agencies’ Board of Commissioners on financial, accounting, budgeting, and investment matters. Jones will also provide counsel on corporate financial and investment strategy and provide oversight for ElectriCities’ Human Resources, Information Technology, and Information Governance functions.

“I look forward to joining ElectriCities and the opportunity to continue to serve in public power,” said Scott Jones. “I value ElectriCities’ focus on collaboration and service and am proud to play a part in continued success for public power in the region.”

Scott earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Master of Accountancy from the University of Tennessee. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

RALEIGH, N.C. — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., the membership organization that provides power supply and related critical services to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—collectively known as public power—joins its member communities and the more than 2,000 public power communities across the country in recognizing Public Power Week, Oct. 6-12, 2024.

Public power providers—electric utilities—are a division of local government. Like public schools and libraries, they are owned by the community and run by boards of local officials who are accountable to their citizens.

“The true measure of public power’s strength is in the value it brings to its customers,” said Roy Jones, CEO of ElectriCities. “Public power providers are vital community pillars, delivering exceptional service, innovative energy solutions, and an unwavering commitment to local needs. Customers in public power communities experience a better quality of life because of these locally owned and operated power providers.”

Public power cities and towns in North Carolina provide safe, affordable, and sustainable electricity with a reliability rating of 99.98%—more reliable than other power providers. In fact, public power customers in North Carolina experience 40% fewer outages than other power providers’ customers. When the power does go out, public power lineworkers restore power faster than other providers.

“Public power lineworkers, customer service representatives, engineers, and other specialists are local municipal employees and take pride in keeping the lights on for their neighbors,” Jones said. “Whether they’re restoring power following a hurricane or ice storm or they’re answering customers’ billing and energy efficiency questions, public power employees are able to respond quickly.”

Public power communities are part of a mutual aid network that spans the state and country, providing invaluable support during hurricanes, ice storms, and other natural disasters while maintaining a superior safety record.

That mutual aid network was most recently put into action in the wake of Hurricane Helene, where western North Carolina saw devastating flooding that led to widespread power outages. Public power communities from across the state answered the mutual aid call, providing crews and equipment to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

As restoration efforts continue, public power lineworkers are working around the clock, lending a hand to neighbors in need. “As we celebrate all that public power is and does this Public Power Week, we recognize that providing safe, reliable, and sustainable power is a 24/7 job,” Jones said. “This essential public service helps communities across our state and country grow and flourish. And while we focus on the benefits of public power especially this week, we know that every day is a great day to celebrate public power.”

RALEIGH, N.C. — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., presented 17 communities with Public Power Awards of Excellence at ElectriCities’ 2024 Annual Conference held in Asheville, North Carolina.

Public Power Awards of Excellence reflect public power’s strategic priorities. The awards recognize public power providers for developing a future-focused mindset, strengthening public power, providing superior power, providing customer-centered innovation, and prioritizing their people as their greatest asset.

“Customers of these award-winning utilities are the true winners,” said ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones. “They enjoy safer and more reliable power, superior service, and far-reaching value thanks to their power provider’s dedication to finding innovative ways to support them.”

The FUTURE-FOCUSED AWARD recognizes communities with a future-focused mindset. This year’s winners are:

• Albemarle
• Kinston
• New Bern
• New River Light and Power
• Western Carolina University
• Wilson

The STRENGTHEN PUBLIC POWER AWARD celebrates communities that build public and political support for public power. This year’s winners are:

• Albemarle
• Fayetteville Public Works Commission
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Kinston
• Maiden
• Monroe
• New Bern
• New River Light and Power
• Rocky Mount
• Statesville
• Tarboro
• Western Carolina University
• Wilson

The PROVIDE SUPERIOR POWER AWARD highlights communities that deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity. This year’s winners are:

• Apex
• Fayetteville Public Works Commission
• Gastonia
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Kinston
• Monroe
• New Bern
• New River Light and Power
• Rocky Mount
• Statesville
• Tarboro
• Wilson

The CUSTOMER-CENTERED INNOVATION AWARD recognizes public power providers that innovate and invest to serve their communities better. This year’s winners are:

• Clayton
• Fayetteville Public Works Commission
• New Bern
• New River Light and Power
• Rocky Mount
• Wilson

The PEOPLE AWARD distinguishes cities and towns that leverage their people as their greatest asset. This year’s winners are:

• Albemarle
• Concord
• Fayetteville Public Works Commission
• Greenville Utilities Commission
• Kinston
• Monroe
• New River Light and Power
• Rocky Mount
• Statesville
• Tarboro
• Western Carolina University
• Wilson

Spanning North Carolina from the mountains to the coast, this year’s award winners represent some of the state’s smallest and largest public power communities.

“Congratulations to this year’s Public Power Awards of Excellence recipients,” said Jones. “Their unwavering commitment to their customers and their communities helps ensure a bright future for public power in our region.”

RALEIGH, N.C. — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., celebrates and honors electric lineworkers this April.

Monday, April 8, is North Carolina Lineworker Appreciation Day, and Thursday, April 18, is National Lineworker Appreciation Day. Both days are designated to honor the lineworkers who perform the critical work needed to keep our communities powered every day.

“Lineworkers are skilled professionals who rise to the challenge to perform difficult and dangerous work, at times in grueling conditions for long hours, all while adhering to strict safety protocols,” said ElectriCities CEO, Roy Jones. ElectriCities is the membership organization that provides power supply and related critical services to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—collectively known as public power.

“Lineworkers prioritize the needs of their neighbors above their own to keep the lights on in the communities they serve,” Jones said. “They are true hometown heroes.”

In North Carolina, public power lineworkers keep the electricity flowing for nearly 1.3 million people in more than 70 public power cities and towns throughout the state. Across the nation, public power lineworkers support 2,000 municipalities, serving one out of every seven Americans.

Since public power lineworkers frequently live in the communities they serve, they can respond quickly when storms or other disasters damage lines or equipment. Their quick response is key to the exceptional electric reliability public power communities are known for maintaining.

Nationally, public power customers experience half the average outage time as customers of other utilities, according to the latest report from the American Public Power Association.

North Carolina public power customers enjoy even better reliability, with outages lasting only a third as long as customers of other providers. The state’s public power lineworkers keep the power on 99.98% of the time. So, on average, North Carolina’s public power customers face less than one outage a year and it lasts less than one hour.

A lineworker’s job is dangerous, and rigorous safety protocols help keep them safe. To ensure they adhere to required safety procedures and protocols, lineworkers in ElectriCities member cities and towns participate in safety training, ElectriCities’ Apprenticeship Program, and other career development programs.

In addition to safely keeping the lights on in their own communities, public power lineworkers participate in a statewide and national mutual aid network that authorizes crews to travel to help repair electric systems. These first responders light the way for other first responders, bringing the initial sign of recovery to an area hit by disaster.

“Lineworkers are often the first, first responders, and they’re the backbone of public power,” Jones said. “I’m proud to celebrate these hometown heroes, today and every day.”

RALEIGH, N.C. — Participants in the North Carolina Transmission Planning Collaborative (NCTPC) have identified 73 major transmission projects that will improve the electric transmission infrastructure as part of the 2023-2033 Collaborative Transmission Plan (“2023 Plan”). These 73 major transmission projects in the 2023 Plan represent $2.44 billion in new transmission investments during the next decade. This includes 58 reliability projects representing around $1.94 billion in investments and 15 Public Policy projects representing around $500 million in investments that will enable the interconnection of new resources and replace aging infrastructure.

The major transmission projects identified in the 2023 Plan are expected to be implemented during the next 10 years by the transmission owners to enhance system reliability and resiliency, support the addition of new generation resources, and potentially enable increased economic electricity transfers across the transmission network.

The 2023 Plan report can be viewed on the NCTPC website under the Reference Documents section at nctpc.org/nctpc/home.jsp.

The 2023 Plan, relative to the 2022 Plan, includes 24 new Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and 12 new Duke Energy Progress (DEP) reliability projects totaling $1.07 billion in new transmission investments. Appendices C and D in the 2023 Plan report contain the specific details on all 58 reliability projects identified in the 2023 Plan, which includes 22 reliability projects from the previous year’s plan report. The in-service dates and cost estimates for some planned or underway 2023 reliability projects have been revised from the previous year’s plan report.

The 2023 Plan, relative to the 2022 Plan, includes one new DEP project resulting from the Public Policy Planning Process. This new project added to the previously identified 14 projects brings the total to around $500 million in new transmission investments for Public Policy projects. Appendices E and F in the 2023 Plan report contain the specific details on each of these 15 Public Policy projects.

The NCTPC was formed in 2005 by the load-serving entities (LSEs) to ensure DEC and DEP develop a shared plan for electric transmission system enhancements located in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. Those LSEs include DEC, DEP, ElectriCities of North Carolina, which serves public power communities across the Carolinas, and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ generation and transmission arm, North Carolina EMC (NCEMC), which serves as the power supplier for most of the state’s electric cooperatives.

Since its inception in 2005, transmission projects totaling around $3.94 billion have been identified in the NCTPC plans. More than $1.2 billion in projects have been placed in service through the end of 2023. Today, there are around $2.44 billion in projects still in the planning stage to support reliability and ongoing Public Policy initiatives. Another $300 million in projects were deferred until after 2033 or cancelled as a result of changing transmission system requirements. The plan is updated annually.

The NCTPC was established to provide participants and other stakeholders an opportunity to participate in the electric transmission planning process and develop a single coordinated transmission plan that includes reliability, resource supply additions, public policy, and local economic study transmission planning considerations. The group’s priority is to appropriately balance costs, benefits and risks associated with the use of transmission and generation resources.

Another goal of the NCTPC is to study the strength of the transmission infrastructure of DEC and DEP. The scope of the 2023 NCTPC study included a base reliability analysis for transmission needs to meet load growth between 2023 and 2033. For a variety of reasons, such as load growth, generation retirements, or power purchase agreements expiring, participants and other stakeholders may wish to evaluate other potential economic upgrades as a means to increase transmission access to potential supply resources inside and outside the DEC and DEP Balancing Areas.

For the 2023 Study, the NCTPC received two Public Policy Study requests: (1) the interconnection of high volumes of solar and solar plus storage to the DEC and DEP transmission systems; and (2) the generation retirements and resource supply additions as provided in the 2022 Duke Carbon Plan Portfolios. The final scope of the 2023 Public Policy Study assumed a combination of scenarios from these two requests, incorporating input from the OSC and in consultation and coordination with the two study requestors. The Public Policy Study analysis is still in progress. The results of the 2023 Public Policy Study will be published in a supplemental report at a later date, anticipated to be Q1 2024.

“Effective planning is an essential part of supporting the growing energy needs of the Carolinas and the customers served by our transmission system,” said Avni Patel of Duke Energy, Chair of the NCTPC Oversight/Steering Committee (OSC). “The NCTPC provides a transparent and collaborative process for entities who rely on the transmission system to coordinate plans for future enhancements in ways that optimize cost effectiveness and reliability.”

The NCTPC process includes active participation of other market participants and stakeholders through a Transmission Advisory Group (TAG), which is open to all interested parties. Stakeholders interested in joining the TAG or receiving information about the NCTPC process can sign up at nctpc.org/nctpc/home.jsp.

During the NCTPC process, an administrative consultant serves as a facilitator who chairs the TAG and solicits input from stakeholders through the open TAG meetings. Richard Wodyka, the current NCTPC consultant, can be reached at rich.wodyka@gmail.com. If you have any comments or questions on the NCTPC process or the 2023-2033 Collaborative Transmission Plan Study Report, contact Richard Wodyka via email or phone at 484-431-0335.

For media inquiries, contact the corporate media relations representatives at each entity:

Duke Energy
– Jeff Brooks: 919.522.1168 | Jeff.Brooks@duke-energy.com

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives
– Townley Venters: 919.645.2432 | townley.venters@ncemcs.com

ElectriCities of North Carolina (municipals)
– Elizabeth Kadick: 919.760.6285 | ekadick@electricities.org