Despite pushback from several environmental groups, Duke Energy has filed its first application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a new nuclear facility in Stokes County. The proposed reactor would be located at Belews Creek, just outside Greensboro. If approved, it would be the first nuclear facility in the Triad, though it would add to plants Duke already operates near Wilmington and Charlotte.
The filing comes amid significant energy policy changes at both the state and federal levels. Tax credits support advanced nuclear technology and battery storage and provide flexibility for existing coal plants and new natural gas generation. The Belews Creek site could be eligible for up to a 40% investment tax credit under incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act and President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
The Belews Creek Steam Station opened in 1974 on Belews Lake as a coal-fired power plant. Duke added natural gas to the site in 2020 and 2021, but the current units are scheduled to shut down in the late 2030s. Duke says repurposing the site would save customers money. Environmental groups, including the Environmental Working Group, 350 Triangle and the North Carolina Alliance to Protect Our People and the Places We Live, oppose the plan and have submitted a formal filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission arguing it fails to meet the state’s “reasonable and prudent” and “least cost” standards. The groups are urging the commission to reject the plan, saying it does not meet emissions-reduction goals and relies on costly and unproven nuclear technology.
“Opponents are jumping to conclusions and emphasized that the utility is in the earliest exploratory stages,” said Duke principal communications manager Bill Norton.
Duke has been preparing the application, known as an early site permit, for the past two years and says it intends to address environmental and safety issues at Belews Creek well before a full reactor application is filed. Approval is expected to take about 18 months, and a nuclear reactor would be at least a decade away from operation.
Under the state’s carbon plan, Duke must achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Jon Sanders, director of the John Locke Foundation’s Center for Food, Power and Life, said, “Building new nuclear capacity on existing coal sites makes sense.” He cited Duke’s most recent filing with the North Carolina Utilities Commission, which outlines how much new solar, natural gas and nuclear capacity the utility expects to build by 2040, and the productivity anticipated from each source.
Sanders said Duke sees greater long-term promise in nuclear power than solar, noting that while Duke plans to build far more solar capacity, it expects nuclear to deliver significantly more power.
Duke hopes to use small modular reactors at Belews Creek, which are smaller and potentially less expensive than traditional reactors. Duke is studying six designs, including light-water, helium and liquid sodium–cooled reactors. A site permit would last 20 years, with a possible 20-year renewal, as Duke positions the project as part of a broader effort to meet growing energy demand across the Carolinas.
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