Future Forward Energy
Building a Reliable and Resilient Energy Landscape
About the 2025 Forum
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects global energy demand will increase by as much as three-quarters by 2050. According to Duke Energy, electricity demand in North Carolina is growing at the fastest rate seen in 30 years. Expected load growth by 2030 is now eight times higher than the expectations set in 2022’s North Carolina Carbon Plan, driven by an influx of energy-intensive businesses. Their unexpected demand comes on top of projected increases tied to population growth.
At the same time that demand is growing rapidly, North Carolina’s current electric grid is aging. Meeting the needs of our growing population and evolving economy will require rapid capacity expansion and diverse sources of electricity. These investments–taking place in communities across the state–are already increasing energy costs for consumers. At the same time, extreme weather events, most recently Hurricane Helene, are adding to the cost burden by doing tens of millions of dollars in damage to the existing grid.
The 2025 Emerging Issues Forum on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, examined policies and practices to meet these challenges and take advantage of the economic development opportunities in the changing energy landscape. Particular attention was given to energy workforce needs, household energy affordability and addressing community concerns about energy infrastructure projects.
The 2025 Emerging Issues Forum is part of the 2025-2027 Emerging Issues Forum series on North Carolina’s future-forward infrastructure.
