Duke Energy has started operating a 50-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) at its former Allen coal plant on Lake Wylie, serving customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company also announced plans for further battery storage development and new jobs at the Gaston County site.
The first BESS, which cost about $100 million, was completed under budget and ahead of schedule. It began serving customers in November, with final testing being completed this month. Construction is set to begin in May on a second BESS at the site—a 167-megawatt, four-hour system that will be Duke Energy’s largest battery installation to date.
Both lithium-ion battery systems are eligible for federal investment tax credits, offsetting 40% of the cost for Duke Energy customers. This includes an additional 10% credit for reinvesting into an energy community, as the coal plant retired in December 2024.
“We’re building new resources to keep the Carolinas’ economy thriving, while reinvesting in a former coal plant community that helped power this region for decades,” said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “Repurposing existing energy infrastructure and taking advantage of federal funding significantly offset costs for our customers while continuing to support rapid growth across the region.”
Utility-scale battery systems are especially useful during cold winter mornings before solar generation becomes available. They can also store excess energy generated during low-demand periods—such as from the nearby Catawba Nuclear Station—for use when demand is higher.
Duke Energy intends to expand battery storage investments throughout multiple counties in the Carolinas. According to its 2025 Carolinas Resource Plan, currently under review by state regulators, the company projects adding 6,550 megawatts of batteries by 2035 to maintain reliability and meet growing electricity needs in North Carolina and South Carolina. This amount of storage could supply power to more than five million homes during peak usage times.
The company’s long-term strategy includes maintaining a diverse mix of energy sources such as solar, storage, nuclear, and natural gas generation. Over the next 15 years, customer energy needs across the Carolinas are expected to grow at eight times the rate seen over the previous 15 years.
Duke Energy’s plans also include installing battery storage at both retired coal plant sites along the Catawba River in Gaston County: Allen (1957-2024) in Belmont and Riverbend (1929-2013) in Mount Holly. Construction on a 115-megawatt BESS at Riverbend is scheduled to start in late 2026 with operations beginning in late 2027.
“We are proud of how this site and its people continue to support our customers,” said Bryan Walsh, Duke Energy’s vice president of Regulated Renewables and Lake Services. “Multiple former Allen plant employees now work on our Regulated Renewables team, which maintains and operates the new batteries at Allen and elsewhere in the Carolinas. Duke Energy’s test site for new battery technologies, its Emerging Technology and Innovation Center, is also in Mount Holly.”
As part of an ongoing rate review before the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Duke Energy has proposed a third BESS at Allen that could be operational by late 2028. The proposal also includes plans for a regional operations facility that would support batteries and renewables with space for up to 50 employees; these plans remain subject to regulatory approval.
Duke Energy Carolinas owns significant energy capacity—20,800 megawatts—and supplies electricity across a large service area covering both North Carolina and South Carolina.
Duke Energy serves millions of electric utility customers across six states as well as natural gas utility customers across five states. The company continues investing in grid upgrades and cleaner generation sources as part of its transition toward smarter energy solutions.
More information about Duke Energy can be found on their website duke-energy.com or through their social media channels.
