US Duke Energy’s new biennial Carolinas Resource Plan has been filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC). It puts forward a road map for regional energy development over the next 15 years. As well as natural gas plants and limited pumped hydro, Duke Energy operates the largest nuclear fleet in the US, with 10,819 MWe of nuclear capacity from 11 reactors at six sites in North and South Carolina. Duke noted that energy use is more than double the growth forecast expected when the previous Carolinas Resource Plan, was filed in 2023.

Dukes nuclear fleet includes: the three-unit Oconee plant, two-unit plants at Brunswick, Catawba and McGuire; and two single-unit plants at Robinson and Shearon Harris. In 2024 its six plants provided more than 50% of Carolina customers’ electricity and more than 96% of the company’s clean energy.

The current situation and future plans for the nuclear sector are outlines in the 35-page Appendix J of the Carolinas Resource Plan. It lists the following highlights:

With respect to existing nuclear, Duke:

  • Completed implementation of Oconee Nuclear Station power uprate project, adding 46 MWe of capacity to the system;
  • Received US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval of Oconee’s subsequent licence renewal (SLR) application in March 2025, extending the operational life of all three units up to 80 years;
  • Submitted SLR application to NRC for Robinson Nuclear Plant in April 2025;
  • Began preparing SLR application for the Brunswick Nuclear Plant
  • Continued developing extended power uprate (EPU) and balance-of-plant design change packages and associated licence submittals for the McGuire Nuclear Station and Brunswick Nuclear Plant, respectively;
  • Continued developing 24-month fuel cycle design change packages and licence submittals for the McGuire and Catawba Nuclear Stations.

The near term action plan to 2027 for existing nuclear includes to:

  • Prepare the SLR application for Brunswick 2025-2028;
  • Develop 24-month fuel cycle design change packages for Catawba and McGuire;
  • Develop and submit power uprate licence submittals for Brunswick, Catawba, and McGuire;
  • Develop power uprate balance-of-plant design change packages for Brunswick, Catawba, and McGuire;
  • Purchase major equipment in support of EPUs at Catawba and McGuire;
  • Perform power uprate implementation of balance-of-plant modifications for Brunswick, Catawba, and McGuire 2027;
  • Submit the SLR application for Brunswick to NRC 2027-2028;
  • Develop 24-month fuel cycle design change packages and license submittal for Harris 2028-2030; and
  • Prepare the SLR application for McGuire.

The intermediate action plan 2029-2030 is to:

  • Purchase major equipment in support of extended power uprate EPUs at Catawba and McGuire;
  • Continue development of 24-month fuel cycle design change packages and licence submittals for Harris;
  • Submit 24-month fuel cycle licence submittals for Catawba, Harris, and McGuire 2029-2031;
  • Prepare the SLR application for Catawba 2029-2032;
  • Continue performing power uprate implementation of balance-of-plant modifications at Brunswick, Catawba, and McGuire;
  • Implement 24-month fuel cycles at Harris, Catawba, and McGuire, with all 24- month fuel cycle projects implemented by 2031 2030
  • Submit the SLR application for McGuire 2031
  • Submit the SLR application for Catawba; and
  • Complete implementation of all EPU projects.

With respect to plans for advanced nuclear generation, Duke is considering the possibility of light water small modular reactors (SMRs), non-light-water reactors (non-LWRs) and large light water reactors (LLWRs). The preferred site for deployment of SMRs or non-LWRs is a site in Belews Creek, North Carolina (NC), on Duke Energy-owned land adjacent to the Belews Creek Steam Station, a two-unit, 2,220 MWe plant that uses coal and natural gas to produce energy.

Duke has continued preparation of the early site permit (ESP) application for the Belews Creek site, including:

  • Completing initial field work, such as groundwater well installations, core drilling, and environmental studies;
  • Installing a meteorological tower and collecting weather data;
  • Engaging community, industry, and regulatory stakeholders, providing presentations, site tours, and updates during NRC public meetings;
  • Staying on schedule to submit early site permit application to the NRC in late 2025;
  • Continuing a rigorous technology assessment and due diligence review of SMRs and non-light-water reactor designs, including participating in deep dives with reactor technology vendors and entering strategic agreements with utilities and vendors.

Duke Energy has been developing the ESP application for the Belews Creek site since late 2023, and approval from the NRC is expected in 2027. The permit will use the plant parameter envelope concept that bounds six reactor technologies for the site, four SMRs and two non-LWRs. The four SMR designs include the GVH BWRX-300, Holtec’s SMR-300, NuScale’s VOYGR, and Westinghouse’s AP300. The two non- LWR designs include TerraPower’s Natrium and X-energy’s Xe-100 reactors. The six reactors chosen are those considered the furthest along from both a design and licensing perspective. Once the NRC issues the ESP to Duke Energy, any of the six technologies could be selected for Belews Creek as long as the design remains within the bounding criteria. Although the site could potentially support up to two LLWRs, the permit application being developed only identifies SMR and non-LWR technologies for potential deployment.

With respect to LLWRs, Duke notes that three designs could be considered for the US market – Framatome’s US Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR), GVH’s Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) and Westinghouse’s AP1000. The ESBWR and AP1000 have approved design certifications from NRC and the EPR and AP1000 have plants in operation. However, “Duke Energy continues to maintain optionality for LLWRs.”

While the preferred site for LLWRs is the William States Lee III nuclear site in Cherokee County, South Carolina (the planned NPP was never built), and the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant site in Wake County, NC. Duke submitted a combined licence applications (COLAs) to build two AP1000 units at both the WS Lee and Harris sites, in 2007 and 2008. Extensive evaluations of those and alternate sites were performed at that time. Duke notes that. While SMRs or non-LWRs have not yet reached commercial operation in North America, two AP1000s began operating in the US in 2023 and 2024.

In preparation for possible LLWR construction, Duke:

  • Submitted a report to the NCUC on large LLWRs in March 2025;
  • Expanded industry engagement to assess the potential for LLWRs and initiated contract development discussions with LLWR vendors to identify licensing needs.

Near-Term Action Plan for all advanced reactors:

Q4 2025

  • Submit early site permit application to NRC for the Belews Creek;
  • Initiate contracts with LLWR vendors to identify licensing needs.

 2026

  • Continue rigorous evaluation of SMR and non-LWR advanced reactor technologies and complete due diligence reviews;
  • Develop licence amendments to support updating the construction licences (COLs) at the WS Lee site;
  • Develop application revisions to support updating the COLA at the Harris site;
  • Engage with federal partners and the industry to secure more customer protections, including: (1) a higher degree of cost and schedule certainty and (2) cost overrun protection or mitigation.

 2027-2028

  • Choose advanced reactor technology for deployment at Belews Creek;
  • Develop a construction permit application (CPA”) or COLA for advanced reactors at the Belews Creek;Submit licence application renewals to NRC to update the COLs for the WS Lee site for two AP1000 units;
  • Submit application revisions to NRC that are required to update the COLA for the Harris site for two AP1000 units.

If the decision is made to move forward with LLWRs, to:

  • Order long-lead equipment for the first project;
  • Obtain construction approval;
  • Start site preparation at the selected site;
  • Begin front-end engineering and design for the selected first site.

Intermediate-Term Actions – if SMRs are chosen:

  • 2029 – Obtain construction approval; Order long-lead equipment for the first two SMR units.
  • 2029-2031 – Support NRC review of the CPA or COLA for the first SMR site.
  • 2030-2031 – Begin site preparation work at the first SMR site; select a second site to deploy advanced reactors; develop a CPA or COLA for advanced reactors at a second SMR site and submit it to the NRC.
  • 2032 – Start construction of unit 1 at the first SMR site; support NRC review of the CPA or COLA for the second SMR site.
  • 2033 -Start construction of unit 2 at the first SMR site.

Intermediate-Term Actions – if LLWRs are chosen:

  • 2029-2030 – Continue site preparation, equipment procurement, and front-end engineering and design for the first LLWR site.
  • 2031 – Start construction of unit 1 at the first LLWR site; select a second site to deploy advanced reactors; perform front-end engineering and design for a second LLWR site.
  • 2032 – Start construction of unit 2 at the first LLWR site.

Duke Energy said it will continue to make progress on near-term activities to support potential advanced nuclear deployment, maintaining the option of bringing SMRs or LLWRs online in the mid- to late 2030s to meet growing system needs and in line with scheduled coal unit retirements. NCUC will hold hearings on the resource plan in 2026.