Duke says conservation working


Substation Relay Protection Training

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
Duke Energy Corp. said conservation programs it activated August 9 meant to shave power demand by interrupting service for some commercial and industrial volunteers have been working.

All 45 Carolinas power plants have been operating amid a record heat wave in the Charlotte-area. And the company reported an all-time record of 18,988 megawatts of demand on August 8. It activated the programs the following day, which was hotter, and reduced demand to 18,907.

Duke's system in the Carolinas, when completely healthy, can produce about 21,000 megawatts. But outages are commonplace, and the system could not crank out that much power all the time.

About 150 commercial and industrial customers have signed up to be volunteers to be shut off in times of high demand in exchange for power bill rebates.

"We literally interrupt the service," said Duke spokesman Paige Sheehan. "It's something they build into their business plans."

Duke was asking customers to conserve by tweaking thermostats and turning off unneeded lights. Peak demand times usually occur in the late afternoon and early evening during hot weather. Residents are returning home and businesses are still open.

Related News

Told "no" 37 times, this Indigenous-owned company brought electricity to James Bay anyway

Five Nations Energy Transmission Line connects remote First Nations to the Ontario power grid, delivering…
View more

Canada and Manitoba invest in new turbines

Manitoba Clean Electricity Investment will upgrade hydroelectric turbines, expand a 230 kV transmission network, and…
View more

Data Centers May Increase Canadian Electricity Bills

Analysts warn that rising data-center and AI demand threatens to push energy infrastructure costs onto…
View more

Egypt, Eni ink MoU on hydrogen production projects

Egypt-ENI Hydrogen MoU outlines joint feasibility studies for green and blue hydrogen using renewable energy,…
View more

N.S. approves new attempt to harness Bay of Fundy's powerful tides

Bay of Fundy Tidal Energy advances as Nova Scotia permits Jupiter Hydro to test floating…
View more

A robot is killing weeds by zapping them with electricity

Electric weed-zapping farm robots enable precision agriculture, using autonomous mapping, per-plant targeting, and robotics to…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified