RALEIGH – This week, Duke Energy joined the Trump administration’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which is a set of bold commitments to ensure that data centers and other large energy users “build, bring, or buy the new generation resources and electricity needed to satisfy their energy demands, and pay for all new power delivery infrastructure upgrades to service their data centers.”
According to expert Rajan Sodhi of the website hyperviewhq.com, a data center is a specialized facility that houses computing equipment, storage systems, and networking infrastructure required to support large Information Technology operations. These facilities provide the physical environment, power, cooling, and security necessary to keep servers and other critical hardware running 24/7.
Data centers serve as centralized hubs where organizations can store, process, and distribute data across networks. They enable everything from basic email services to complex cloud computing platforms, making them essential for modern business operations.
The importance of data centers has grown exponentially with digital transformation. Organizations now depend on these facilities to maintain business continuity, ensure data security, and provide reliable access to applications and services. Without properly functioning data centers, most businesses would experience significant operational disruptions within hours.
Duke Energy is North Carolina’s largest investor-owned electric utility, providing power directly or indirectly to most of the state. Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Gov. Josh Stein are challenging Duke to commit legally – not just verbally.
“Duke just promised the federal government that it won’t shift the cost of data centers onto families,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “We agree, but a promise in Washington doesn’t lower a power bill in North Carolina. We’re calling on Duke to make that same promise to the North Carolina Utilities Commission, in writing, where it can be enforced.”
