Charlotte Duke Energy trims NC residential rate request to 11.6% for July 7 hearing

Charlotte-area Duke Energy customers are headed toward a key procedural step in the North Carolina rate case today: an N.C. Utilities Commission expert-witness hearing that starts July 7, 2026. Ahead of that hearing, Duke Energy Carolinas revised down its requested residential rate increase for North Carolina—cutting the two-year request to 11.6% (pending commission action).

Quick context: what changed for Duke customers

Duke Energy Carolinas’ revised proposal would amount to about 11.6% for residential customers over two years. In the company’s revised filing, Duke lays out a split of 7.5% for 2027 followed by 4.2% for 2028—but those figures are part of a request, not the final approved outcome.

The July 7 expert-witness hearing (what it is and why it matters)

The N.C. Utilities Commission has scheduled an expert-witness hearing beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Dobbs Building in Raleigh. The proceeding is identified as Docket E-7 Sub 1329, according to the commission’s public hearings calendar.

Expert-witness hearings are designed for evidence review and technical testimony. They’re an early, important moment for building the record that commissioners will later use when they consider whether to accept, modify, or reject Duke’s requested rates.

What Duke says it changed in its revised request

Compared with its earlier request, Duke Energy Carolinas revised down the residential portion—from about 18% over two years to 11.6%—while still asking the commission to approve an increase that would phase in over 2027 and 2028.

In explaining why the number fell, Duke pointed to several adjustments in its revised request, including a lower return on equity (ROE) target (from 10.95% to 10.48%). Duke also described changes tied to costs and timing, including withdrawing a 2024 depreciation study, revising how it would recover certain storm- and recovery-related costs, and removing upgrades associated with large-load customers.

What regulators can do next—and when Charlotte customers could see rate changes

The N.C. Utilities Commission can accept Duke’s revised request, reduce it, modify it, or reject it. A final decision is expected in the fall, and if new rates are ultimately approved, they could take effect on January 1, 2027.

For residents, the practical takeaway is timing: today’s expert-witness hearing is an early evidence step; the approval (or changes) that determine the final rates comes later.

How residents can track what happens next

If you’re trying to plan household budgets, the most reliable approach is to follow the docket and commission updates tied to E-7 Sub 1329 rather than only headline percentages. Also keep in mind that the residential “bill impact” figures discussed in coverage are estimates that can vary depending on how regulators ultimately set rate terms and how much electricity each household uses.

Sources

• N.C. Utilities Commission — Public Hearings calendar (July 7, 2026 expert witness; E-7 Sub 1329)
• Charlotte Observer — Duke Energy makes rare cut to its NC rate hike request; what it means for residents (June 23, 2026)
• WUNC News (NC Newsroom/WUNC) — Duke slashes its pending NC rate request; details of what changed (June 23, 2026)
• Public Radio East — Under pressure, Duke scales back proposed residential rate hike (June 23, 2026)
• WSOC TV — Duke lowers proposed rate increase after pushback (June 23, 2026)