Duke Energy announced that data center growth will deliver billions of dollars in long-term customer bill relief through

Duke Energy customers will benefit from billions of dollars in long-term bill relief as data centers begin operations, according to a statement from Harry Sideris, president and CEO of Duke Energy. "Duke Energy remains laser-focused on ensuring data centers not only pay their fair share but also yield savings for our existing customers," Sideris said.

The company outlined its approach to managing data center expansion by working with customers, regulators and other stakeholders to ensure that growth in energy demand creates lasting value for everyone. New revenues from data center growth will support ongoing investments that improve the grid and expand energy resources.

Duke Energy's strategy is guided by its Customer Protection Plus framework, which the company uses to evaluate, plan for and manage data center growth. The framework is built on three priorities, with more details available at duke-energy.com/DataCenters.

Sasha Weintraub, executive vice president and chief customer officer at Duke Energy, emphasized the company's dual focus. "A lot of the discussion around data centers focuses on how much energy they use. We're equally focused on what that growth can mean for all customers. We're committed to an ongoing, collaborative and transparent partnership with our customers, regulators and other stakeholders to ensure projects create meaningful customer benefits, all while ensuring the energy system is prepared for future growth."

Duke Energy is a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is among America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers across North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky. The company is executing an energy modernization strategy that prioritizes customer value while investing in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources.