North Carolina
Duke Energy feeling the heat as public hearings continue this week on carbon plan • NC Newsline
While monthly average carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere reached a record high of 425.4 parts per million last month, Duke Energy’s proposed carbon plan could delay legally required greenhouse gas reductions, rely on the expansion of natural gas, and burden low-income households with higher monthly energy bills — as much as 73%.
Over the next week, the N.C. Utilities Commission is hosting three public hearings — one virtual and two in-person — where people can testify about the plan. The commission is also accepting written public comments. Duke Energy can’t implement the plan until it receives commission approval.
What’s in the carbon plan?
As Newsline previously reported, this version of the carbon plan is a do-over of the utility’s original projections that the Utilities Commission approved last year. North Carolina’s “substantial economic development successes” Duke Energy said, prompted it to reanalyze its forecasts for supply and demand. “Interest over the past year from new large-load customers exploring siting new facilities” in North Carolina “has occurred at a scale and pace that is well beyond the Companies’ historical experience,” utility officials wrote.
Coal
The Allen plants in Gaston County were scheduled to be retired in March; the new plan postpones their mothballing until December. By 2035, coal will be eliminated from the utility’s energy mix.
Natural gas
Natural gas,while emitting less carbon dioxide, is the primary source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, entering the atmosphere. Although carbon dioxide persists in the atmosphere longer than methane, the latter does far more damage in its short lifetime.
The new plan now includes the operation of the controversial and much-delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline, which runs from West Virginia through Virginia to the North Carolina line. The proposed MVP Southgate extension from Virginia to Rockingham County has not been finalized; Equitrans, the pipeline operator, recently announced major changes to the Southgate line, shortening the route and containing it within Rockingham County instead of proceeding through Alamance County. Equitrans has not yet issued a map of the new route, nor has it received any state environmental permits.
With the availability of the MVP gas, Duke plans to build two new natural gas plants in North Carolina, including Person County. That will add another 2,720 megawatts of natural gas to the electric grid, a third more than previously projected. The additional natural gas plant in Person County coincides with plans for a controversial liquified natural gas storage facility in the southeastern part of the county.
Dominion Energy plans to run a pipeline from Rockingham County to Person County, where it will connect with Duke’s new plants. And Transco plans to expand its existing pipeline that enters North Carolina near Charlotte and traverses northeast through the Triad and into Rockingham County.
Nuclear power
In addition to Duke’s three large nuclear plants — Shearon Harris in Wake County, McGuire in Mecklenburg County, and Brunswick in Brunswick County — the utility is proposing to build new units at its Belews Creek site in Stokes County.
SMRs, as these smaller units are known, are a quarter of the size of a conventional nuclear plant and have more compact, simplified designs. However, SMRs are a nascent technology and have not been commercially deployed. NuScale, which had planned to build several commercially viable SMRs in Utah, canceled the project after costs topped $9 billion. Duke plans to build seven SMRs in the state by mid-century.
Solar
The new plan adds more solar energy than under the previous plan, reaching 17,500 megawatts within 15 years. Additional battery storage paired with solar could boost the resource’s availability at night.
Wind
Duke still plans to build an offshore wind farm off the Brunswick County coast, even after selling the company’s commercial renewable energy arm last year. However, the first pulse of energy won’t arrive until 2033 or 2034, about two years later than originally planned. Duke had not factored on-shore wind into the mix, but now plans to build a farm — somewhere — to be in service by 2033. The two wind power sources are projected to make up a total of 2% of the energy mix in 2033, increasing to 12% by mid-century.
North Carolina
Jay Glazer shares why Bill Belichick became North Carolina Tar Heels’ head coach | NFL on FOX Pod
Video Details
Jay Glazer sits down with Dave Helman to talk about Bill Belichick! Within the segment, Glazer explains why the former New England Patriot head coach decided to become the new head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
5 HOURS AGO・the nfl on fox podcast・3:25
North Carolina
Bill Belichick Secures First Transfer Portal Victory at North Carolina
The Bill Belichick era at Chapel Hill is officially underway.
On Monday, Belichick and North Carolina secured their first transfer portal coup after former Holy Cross offensive lineman Christo Kelly committed to the Tar Heels, per On3.
Kelly becomes the first player to commit to UNC since Belichick stunningly took up the head coaching role last week. The former New England Patriots coach made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show earlier Monday and hinted that some transfer activity was in the works for North Carolina. Hours later, that statement proved true after Kelly joined the ranks.
Kelly is a redshirt senior, having had been at Holy Cross since 2020. He made the All-Patriot League Third Team in 2023 as a standout interior offensive lineman, and figures to provide some meaningful experience and protection in the trenches for the Tar Heels in 2025.
As Belichick suggested earlier Monday, there figure to be plenty more incoming transfers to bolster North Carolina’s roster in his debut season as coach. UNC finished the 2024 season with a 6–6 record but went 3–5 in ACC play, finishing 13th in the conference.
North Carolina
Jerod Mayo Addresses Theory After Bill Belichick Joins North Carolina
Many suspect the Patriots coaching staff will look different next season.
For starters, Jerod Mayo and all of his assistants should be evaluated after yet another unsuccessful campaign in New England. Additionally, as is the case every offseason, there’s a possibility Patriots coaches leave Foxboro, Mass., for new opportunities.
One coach to watch might be Brian Belichick, whose legendary father, Bill Belichick, recently became the head football coach at North Carolina. But when Mayo met with the media Monday, the Patriots head coach claimed the possibility of Belichick leaving New England for Chapel Hill “hasn’t come up at all” in conversations with his safeties coach, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.
Last Thursday, Brian Belichick was asked directly if he would leave the Patriots to reunite with the eight-time Super Bowl champion. A New England staffer since 2017, the younger Belichick stiff-armed the question and stressed his focus was on the Patriots’ Week 15 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
There’s reason to believe Brian Belichick will be back with New England in 2025. Unlike his brother, Steve, Brian Belichick decided to keep his job with the Patriots after Bill Belichick was fired last January. That said, Brian Belichick might be inclined to seek a fresh start following a string of brutal seasons for the Patriots.
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As for Brian’s brother, Steve is expected to leave Washington after one season as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator to join the Tar Heels staff.
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