Charlotte & Local Energy
How many major energy and utility companies are based in or have a strong presence in or around Charlotte?
~10–15 major companies (utilities, EPCs, grid, consulting, energy finance)
How many households in the United States use electricity every single day?
~128 million households
What renewable energy source added the most new capacity in the U.S. in 2023?
Solar (utility-scale + distributed)
What two natural conditions must be present for solar panels to generate electricity?
Sunlight and daylight
How long does it take electricity to travel from a power plant to your phone charger?
A fraction of a second
Which Fortune 500 energy company headquartered in Charlotte serves more than 8 million customers across the U.S.?
Duke Energy
How many power outages does the average American experience per year?
~1–2 outages per year (more with extreme weather)
How many clean energy jobs are expected to be created in the U.S. by 2030?
~500,000 to 1 million jobs
Why do wind turbines sometimes stop spinning even when it’s windy?
Very strong winds can damage equipment, so turbines shut down for safety
What everyday device uses more energy over a year: a refrigerator or a gaming console?
Refrigerator
How many states does Duke Energy operate in?
6 states (NC, SC, FL, IN, OH, KY)
Roughly how many miles of transmission and distribution lines exist in the U.S. power grid?
~7 million miles
What percentage of U.S. electricity could come from clean energy by 2035 under current targets?
~80–100% (depending on policy and grid upgrades)
Why does solar power output usually peak in the middle of the day rather than the morning or evening?
The sun is highest in the sky, so panels receive the most direct sunlight
What percentage of people think electricity can be “stored in power lines”?
~25–30%
What percentage of North Carolina’s electricity comes from nuclear power?
~30–32%
What percent of new U.S. power generation capacity added in 2023 came from renewables?
~80–85%
How much did Duke Energy commit to spend on the clean energy transition over the next decade?
~$145 billion
Why are batteries becoming more common alongside large solar and wind farms?
They store extra energy and release it when renewable generation drops or demand increases
What weighs more: the copper in a large wind turbine or the steel in a utility-scale transformer?
The steel in the transformer
Why has Charlotte become a major hub for power and energy companies?
Proximity to utilities, regulated markets, strong grid presence, finance sector, and engineering talent pipeline
How much electricity does the average U.S. home use per year?
~10,500–11,000 kWh/year
What is the biggest technical challenge to operating a grid dominated by renewables?
Variability + maintaining frequency/voltage stability without traditional inertia
Why is hydropower often considered more reliable than wind or solar?
Water flow can be controlled and is less dependent on daily weather changes
If every home in the United States lost power for just one day, how much would it cost the U.S. economy?
~$25–50 billion