Duke Energy boosts use of natural gas (Charlotte)

Duke Energy Carolinas will rely more on natural-gas plants — particularly more efficient combined-cycle facilities — as it phases out all but its largest coal plants by 2015, according to documents the utility filed this week with state regulators.

Duke submitted its updated 20-year blueprint for energy production, called the Integrated Resource Plan, to the N.C. Utilities Commission on Wednesday.

The company plans to build four combined-cycle gas plants by 2037. Those include two it already has under construction at the Dan River Steam Station in Rockingham County and the Buck Steam Station in Rowan County.

Duke also proposes to convert its Lee Steam Station in Anderson County, S.C., from using coal to using gas by 2015.

Lee, built in 1951, was originally designed to use either coal or gas to create steam that turns its 370-megawatt turbine. Because coal has been so inexpensive for so long, the plant has burned no gas since the 1960s, says Bobby McMurray, Duke’s director of integrated resource planning.

Duke will get about 1% of the power it produces from gas plants next year. By 2030, that will rise to 9%.

Utilities in North Carolina update their 20-year plan annually. One of the principal differences in Duke’s plan this year is the decision to use more natural gas.

Read the full story in the Charlotte Business Journal.