Duke Energy Progress has announced a $470 million network upgrade for 1.9 GW of solar and solar-plus-storage projects in North Carolina and South Carolina, with an average lead time until interconnection of 4.5 years. Tyler Norris, a Duke University Ph.D. candidate and former Cypress Creek Renewables executive, suggested that flexible interconnection could benefit all parties involved in these projects. He argued that North Carolina does not currently allow flexible interconnect for state-jurisdictional projects, but this could be beneficial for solar developers, ratepayers, and utility staff. He also noted that Texas, where the grid operator ERCOT allows a form of flexibility interconnection, has quickly added solar in recent years. Norris plans to analyze the network upgrade costs for the 1.3 GW projects under a scenario in which energy-only interconnection was allowed.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
