"Advocates for solar energy are asking the North Carolina Utilities Commission to overturn an unusual order by its chairman directing Duke Energy to stop its 2026 solar procurement process.
In the April 23 deferral order, Commissioner Chairman Bill Brawley directed Duke Energy to pause the approval process for solar project requests in 2026. The order doesn’t cancel existing projects, but it means the utility won’t add new ones this year, potentially affecting solar capacity in the years ahead.
The Southern Environmental Law Center filed a motion last on behalf of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Vote Solar and Sierra Club, urging the regulatory panel to reconsider the order.
North Carolina’s power bills are already climbing faster than overall inflation, and two pending requests for rate increases by Duke Energy are likely to exacerbate that problem. Increasing solar can offset the volatility of costs for other fuels, said Mikaela Curry, Beyond Coal Campaign manager for the Sierra Club."
