Duke Energy Carolinas has requested a public review of its current rates from South Carolina regulators. This follows the company’s last request in early 2024. The electric utility, which serves nearly 680,000 customers in South Carolina’s Upstate region and along the I-77 corridor south of Charlotte, aims to support ongoing efforts to build a stronger energy future.
The company is seeking an overall annual revenue increase of $150.5 million, translating to a 7.7% rise over current revenues. If approved by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC), typical residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month would see their monthly bills increase by $10.38 starting March 1, 2026. Commercial and industrial customers would experience average increases of 5.4% and around 5.2%, respectively.
Tim Pearson, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president, stated: “We know families and businesses are juggling a lot and we do not take a request to increase rates lightly but being upfront and timely with our request is the right thing to do and in the best interest of our customers.”
The proposed rate adjustments reflect investments made by Duke Energy Carolinas to strengthen the grid, improve storm readiness, maintain its generating fleet, and serve a growing customer base with operational excellence.
The company’s recent grid improvements have already shown effectiveness during storms like Hurricane Helene, where smart technology helped restore power outages automatically for more than 35,000 customers.
Duke Energy Carolinas operates as a subsidiary of Duke Energy and supplies electricity across North Carolina and South Carolina. Duke Energy itself is one of America’s largest energy holding companies with significant investments in electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation technologies.
For further details on this proposal or information about assistance programs offered by Duke Energy Carolinas, visit their website or contact Ryan Mosier at the provided number.
