North Carolina may miss out on a chance to procure new clean energy this year and some clean energy groups fear that could mean higher costs down the road.
It comes down to a decision made back in April. Chair of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Bill Brawley, ordered a pause on Duke Energy's 2026 solar procurement. That meant the utility could not enter into new contracts to build or purchase solar or battery storage developments.
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Brawley ordered the pause to last until the NCUC approved Duke Energy's Integrated Resource Plan or Carbon Plan, which lays out the utility's multi-decade plan on what new power to build and when, as well as when to retire its aging coal plants.
Brawley's reasoning was that Duke shouldn't agree to new procurements ahead of the new IRP in case it was overcommitting to a solar buildout.
The issue is, approving the IRP takes months, and in the meantime, the window for a 2026 solar procurement is closing.
Clean energy groups, including the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association, Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, challenged the pause. They argued that Brawley should not have been able to change a previously approved solar procurement plan without giving impacted parties the chance to weigh in.
The groups also warned that delaying new power projects would make it more expensive to meet North Carolina's growing energy demand.
Now months into this challenge, the commission still hasn't announced whether the NCUC will reconsider. Now with the procurement window closing, groups like the NCSEA are awaiting a ruling on the IRP that they hope will clarify how procurements will move forward.