South Carolina Regulators Approve Duke Energy's Nonresidential Battery Program
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Key Takeaways
- South Carolina regulators approved a demand response program for commercial and industrial battery storage.
- Participants receive a $120/kW connection credit and a $3.50/kW monthly capacity payment.
- The utility can trigger up to 36 discharge events per year, each lasting up to four hours.
- The PowerShare Storage program is slated to begin operations in August 2026.
State regulators in South Carolina have granted approval for PowerShare Storage, a demand response program tailored for the nonresidential sector. This framework allows Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) to utilize battery storage systems located at customer sites as flexible assets to stabilize the electrical grid during periods of high consumption.
The initiative targets the public sector as well as industrial and commercial organizations. By registering eligible battery hardware, these entities permit the utility to draw upon stored electricity. This program represents an expansion of Duke Energy's existing storage flexibility efforts, which previously focused on residential users.
Financial incentives for participants include an initial connection payment of $120 for every kilowatt (kW) of capacity that meets technical standards. An additional $30 per kW incentive is available for storage systems that are charged using renewable energy sources.
Ongoing compensation features a monthly capacity payment of $3.50 per kW, which is adjusted based on verified system losses. Furthermore, participants earn a $0.10 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) credit for energy supplied during specific curtailment windows within a billing period.
