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Duke Energy secures 4.5 gigawatts of data center power agreements with Microsoft and Compass
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 02:38 PM
Duke Energy has secured an additional 1.5 gigawatts in electric service agreements with data center operators including Microsoft and Compass. This brings the total secured load to 4.5 gigawatts, with operations expected to begin in late 2027 and ramp up in 2028. The company's late-stage development pipeline for similar projects is currently estimated at double the existing secured capacity.
Context
Duke Energy has expanded its data center portfolio by securing 1.5 gigawatts in new electric service agreements, bringing its total contracted load to 4.5 gigawatts. These agreements, involving industry leaders like Microsoft and Compass, address the critical semiconductor and AI supply chain bottleneck of power availability. With a late-stage pipeline of approximately 9 gigawatts—double the currently secured amount—the utility is positioning its territories as a primary hub for high-density computing infrastructure.
This growth is expected to trigger a financial inflection point starting in late 2027, with a full-scale ramp throughout 2028. Investors should note that Duke Energy is leveraging this demand to support an expanded $103 billion five-year capital plan. Management expects the accelerated load to push earnings toward the upper end of its 5% to 7% growth target as these massive facilities begin drawing power at scale.
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