Public data · Free to use
North Carolina Data Center Power Rules: Large-Load Tariffs and State Law
How North Carolina’s utilities and lawmakers handle data-center-sized power requests: 2 utilities and 1 state measure, compiled from public filings, with a source on every entry.
Last checked October 22, 2026All states
Utilities
North Carolina utilities and their large-load rules.
Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress
NC, SC · Non-RTO Southeast · Duke Energy
Settlement filedOct 2026Large load tariff (North Carolina rate cases E-7 Sub 1329 and E-2 Sub 1380)
Duke filed a North Carolina settlement with major tech buyers and the Public Staff making a large-load tariff with minimum bills mandatory, pending commission approval.
- Applies to: Above 50 MW (June 2026 proposal)
- Pays at least 75% of contracted capacity (as proposed)
- 10- to 15-year terms (as proposed)
- Mandatory for high-use large customers under the settlement
- Replaces confidential one-off agreements
Sources: WUNC, Duke Energy comes to an agreement on long-sought large-load tariff for data centers in North Carolina (2026); Southern Environmental Law Center, Duke Energy LLT Settlement (filed October 6, 2026) (2026); Canary Media, Duke Energy proposes special rules for data centers in North Carolina (2026); Public Service Commission of South Carolina, Public Information Notice, Docket No. 2026-138-E (2026)
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
TN, AL, MS, KY, GA, NC, VA · Non-RTO Southeast
ApprovedAug 2026Data center rate class with capacity commitment charge
TVA's board created a wholesale data center rate class, effective October 1, 2026, with a capacity commitment charge for new loads above 5 MW.
- Applies to: New or expanding data centers above 5 MW
- Capacity commitment charge of about $1.5 million per MW, paid over three to five years
- About 10% average bill impact, phased in over three fiscal years
- TVA board approval needed above 100 MW
- TVA reviews local power company contracts above 5 MW
Sources: WSMV, TVA approves 10% rate spike for data centers to protect household rate payers (2026); 256 Today, TVA board approves higher power rates for data centers (2026); Yahoo News, TVA keeps an eye on data center proposals (n.d.)
State law and regulation
North Carolina laws and rulemakings.
proposed · 2026-06
Senate Bill 730, Ratepayer Protection Act (House version, 2026)
Would require 15-year power contracts for data centers above 100 MW, closed-loop cooling and an end to local incentives; it passed the House and returned to the Senate.
What this can and can’t tell you
The rules are public. Whether your site can get power isn’t.
Anyone could pull these filings; we compile them so they’re easy to find. Terms change often, so confirm them with the utility or the commission docket before relying on them.
Going deeper: Data Center Site Selection in North Carolina
This tracker · Public, free
- A utility’s published rules for large new loads
- The same answer for every site in that utility’s territory
- What the terms are if power is available
- Compiled from filings anyone can read
A BlackForge report · Site-specific
- Whether a specific parcel can actually be served, and roughly when
- Substation headroom and the realistic connection path
- Gas, water, fiber, buildable land and zoning, checked together
- Built and refreshed for your load, your timeline and your parcels
Cite this tracker
BlackForge Data Centers. "North Carolina data center power rules," Large-Load Power Tracker. Last checked October 22, 2026. https://www.blackforgedatacenters.com/data-center-power-tracker/north-carolina
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit.
Need the answer for a specific site in North Carolina?
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