New power plant construction to power data centers could raise your electricity rates. The NC Utilities Commission regulates electric utilities, they are holding a hearing on whether Duke Energy can increase rates (by 18% on average). Piedmont Electric Corporation also serves Person County, but they buy their energy from Duke Energy and even collaborate on some powerplants, which means what Duke Energy does affects your rates.

Tell them that your electric bills are already too high, and that you shouldn't have to pay more for fuel or new gas power plants that are needed to power new data centers and big industrial customers, like Microsoft.

Duke & Piedmont are partners on the 2nd gas plant being built on Hyco Lake. It was only added AFTER big industrial customers, including Microsoft, asked to connect to the electrical grid. We're being charged for it, but it wasn't necessary to serve our needs. Now we hear that Microsoft is coming to town... why are we paying for this again?