Duke Energy seeking wind power to serve customers in the Carolinas

As part of building a smarter energy future and generating cleaner energy for its customers, Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 500 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity that would be delivered to its transmission system.

Results from the RFP could bring clean wind energy to the Carolinas and help DEC meet North Carolina's 2007 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) that mandates the company generate 12.5 percent of its retail sales in the state by renewable energy or energy efficiency programs by 2021, and continuing afterward.

“As costs in the wind sector decline and capacity factors increase, now is an excellent time to pursue wind energy for the Carolinas,” said Rob Caldwell, president, Duke Energy Renewables and Distributed Energy Technology. “Our experience in wind energy spans more than a decade, so we are excited to evaluate this resource for the benefit of our customers.”

Wind energy will be a strong complement to the company’s already extensive solar energy portfolio here in the Carolinas, providing energy during times that solar is not typically available, and it will further diversify the company’s fuel mix.

The RFP is open to existing or new wind generation facilities – from 100 to 500 MW of delivered capacity – that can be transported into DEC’s transmission system by the end of 2022. Although Duke Energy owns and operates more than 35 solar facilities in the Carolinas, it does not currently purchase any wind capacity for customers in the region.

The generation sources can be located in the Carolinas or elsewhere.

The RFP allows bidders the flexibility to offer three options:

• Purchased power proposals – from five to 20 years in duration.

• Build, own and transfer proposals in which Duke Energy takes ownership of the new facility.

• Purchase existing facilities.

Duke Energy is a leading renewable energy company in the United States, having invested nearly $6 billion in renewables resources. The company’s growing portfolio of renewable assets includes 20 wind projects and more than 60 solar facilities in operation in more than a dozen states, totaling more than 3,000 MW in electric-generating capacity.