Duke Energy has partnered with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nucor to support carbon-free energy generation in response to increasing data center demand.

 

The companies proposed developing new rate structures, known as "tariffs," to reduce the long-term costs of investing in clean energy technologies like nuclear and long-duration storage through early commitments.

 

The Accelerating Clean Energy (ACE) tariffs would enable large customers like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nucor to directly support carbon-free energy generation investments through innovative financing structures and contributions that address project risk to lower costs of emerging technologies.

 

ACE tariffs would facilitate beneficial on-site generation at customer facilities, participation in load flexibility programs, and investments in clean energy assets, making them attractive to customers with large-scale energy needs.

 

The ACE framework also would include a Clean Transition Tariff (CTT) – the key feature enabling Duke Energy to provide individualized portfolios of new carbon-free energy to commercial and industrial customers.

 

The CTT would match clean-energy generation and customer load to accelerate overall grid decarbonization. This would be a voluntary program for larger customers seeking to advance their clean energy goals, and it would include protections for non-participating customers.

 

Lon Huber, Duke Energy, SVP Pricing and Customer Solutions, said: “In this new era of large-scale energy demand, Duke Energy is committed to working with our regulators and customers to find innovative and responsible ways to satisfy the growing need for more and cleaner energy. With the help of companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Nucor, we can accelerate our service of large customer needs and the transition to cleaner energy, while reducing financial risks and supporting economic development in our communities.”

 

Kevin Miller, Amazon Web Services, Vice President of Global Data Centers, said: “As the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, Amazon is committed to enabling new sources of carbon-free energy to help power our operations and the communities where our customers live and work. With a footprint of data centers, fulfillment centers and corporate buildings across Ohio, the Carolinas and Florida, we’re excited to collaborate with Duke Energy to find new solutions that can help us achieve our Climate Pledge to be net zero carbon by 2040, and today’s agreement marks an important step in that journey.”

 

Briana Kobor, Google, Head of Energy Market Innovation, said: “As we continue to progress toward our goal to operate every Google campus on clean electricity every hour of every day by 2030, we are always looking for opportunities to accelerate the delivery of new clean power to the grid. Through collaboration with Duke Energy, the Clean Transition Tariff creates a pathway for us and our peers to bring new, innovative solutions to the forefront faster, in a region we have called home for more than 15 years.”

 

Jeff Riles, Microsoft, Director of Datacenter Energy and Sustainability, said: “Microsoft’s aim is to advance groundbreaking solutions that support the energy transition. Innovative frameworks such as this agreement with Duke Energy support Microsoft’s ambition to have 100 per cent of our electricity consumption, 100 per cent of the time, matched by zero carbon energy purchases. We are committed to creating a more sustainable future as we actively work to add more clean energy to the grid.”

 

Greg Murphy, Nucor’s Executive Vice President of Business Services, Sustainability and General Counsel, said: “Nucor is one of the cleanest and most sustainable steel producers in the world and has proudly operated in the Carolinas since the 1960s. We are excited to see our partnership with Duke Energy evolve through this shared commitment to bring the next generation of clean, reliable, safe and affordable energy to our region while also supporting our net zero goal.” --OGN/TradeArabia News Service