Major Businesses Urge Modernized Grid To Deliver Affordable, Reliable, Clean Power to Customers in Southeast U.S.

August 8, 2024 /3BL/ - A dozen major businesses are calling for policymakers across the Southeast U.S. to take action to strengthen the electricity grid to ensure it has the capacity to reliably power the growing regional demand for electricity with affordable, home-grown clean power.

In a joint statement, businesses with major operations in the region made the case for policymakers to upgrade transmission lines, deploy clean energy resources, and improve grid efficiency. The 12 signatories — Akamai Technologies, CommonSpirit Health, DSM, EILEEN FISHER, HASI, New Belgium Brewing, Nestlé, REI Co-op, Rivian, SAS, Sierra Nevada, and Unilever — noted their concern that “the current state of the grid is not equipped to meet forecasted load growth” and highlighted how federal incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 have made it easier for utilities to upgrade the grid.

"North Carolina's technology sector powers the state's economy. As it continues to grow, the state must prepare its electric grid for increased demand with modern technologies and smart policies that deliver abundant, reliable, and affordable clean power," said Jerry Williams, chief environmental officer, SAS. "SAS calls on the North Carolina Utilities Commission to ensure the grid is in the best possible position to serve the state and its economy now and in the future."

Organized by the sustainability nonprofit Ceres, the statement is directed toward legislative and regulatory policymakers in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. It was submitted today as a filing to the North Carolina Utilities Commission as it prepares to make a final decision on Duke Energy’s 2023 Carbon Plan Integrated Resource Plan. Leading businesses across the region have called for adjustments to Duke’s plan to better use clean energy resources and energy efficiency measures to achieve the state’s 2030 and 2050 goals to cut climate pollution from the power sector.

The businesses also emphasized the need for additional pathways for energy customers to procure clean power, since “most utility clean energy offerings in the Southeast are oversubscribed, not cost-competitive, or limited to small customers.” As of 2023, energy customers in the commercial and industrial sectors had voluntarily procured more than 71 GW of clean energy, nearly half of all wind and solar capacity added to the U.S. grid. “By offering new pathways for clean energy procurement,” the businesses write, “states will not only capture a greater share of private investment and benefit from job creation, but energy customers can continue their voluntary commitment to drive new energy projects and support the region’s projected load growth.”

Duke Energy recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Amazon, Google Microsoft, and Nucor to accelerate clean energy options. While this represents an important step for large energy customers to invest in and access clean power, the statement offers six recommendations to policymakers to ensure businesses can better access reliable, affordable, clean energy.

• Utilize cost-effective grid upgrades to maximize existing resources and enable new projects.
• Enable voluntary customer investments in clean energy resources that add grid capacity.
• Improve siting and permitting procedures for large clean energy and infrastructure projects.
• Prioritize investments that reduce the risk of stranded assets.
• Require competitive procurement and regulatory approval of new generation resources and infrastructure to ensure utilities are taking advantage of the lowest-cost resources.
• Consider opportunities for regional resource pooling or trading.

“Businesses in North Carolina and across the Southeast want to help build a more reliable, affordable, and cleaner electricity grid,” said Mel Mackin, director of state policy, Ceres. “While we commend Duke Energy for its recent agreement to expand clean energy investment opportunities for commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina, there’s much more work to be done. Ceres and the businesses we work with urge Duke and the Utilities Commission to take full advantage of modern technologies and clean energy resources to build a grid that will meet the demands of the state’s growing economy.”

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more just, and sustainable world. United under a shared vision, our powerful networks of investors and companies are proving sustainability is the bottom line—changing markets and sectors from the inside out. For more information, visit ceres.org.

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin, booth-tobin@ceres.org