2026 Solar and Solar Plus Storage Request for Proposals

Duke Energy Progress (DEP) and Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) have issued a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking qualified developers to supply solar generation and solar-plus-storage capacity. This 2026 Solar RFP covers both standalone solar photovoltaic projects and Solar Plus Whole Site (SPWS) configurations that pair solar with battery storage on a single site. The draft documents were released for stakeholder review on March 17, 2026, marking a critical milestone in Duke Energy's ongoing renewable procurement cycle in the Carolinas.

The draft RFP package includes a suite of appendices defining the commercial and technical framework. Key documents comprise the Draft RFP Document itself, two forms of Power Purchase Agreements (Appendix A for Solar Only, Appendix B for SPWS), and extensive Utility Ownership Transfer (UOT) materials. The UOT pathway allows Duke to acquire completed projects, supported by a Form Letter of Intent and Term Sheet (Appendix J), a Form Asset Purchase Agreement (Appendix K) with numerous exhibits covering Assignment and Assumption, Bill of Sale, LGIA Assignment, and real property transfer, plus detailed Survey Requirements (Appendix L) with attachments for mapping policy, approved MSA vendors, a DE SOM, and LiDAR standards. Energy storage technical specifications are provided in Appendix M, and the Resource Sustainability Charge (RSC) process is outlined in Appendix O.

Additional supporting documents include Letter of Credit and Bond Requirements (Appendix C_D_E), a Sample Scoring Sheet (Appendix F), Pollinator Habitat requirements (Appendix G), an Approved Vendors List (Appendix H), and Asset Transfer Technical Guidance (Appendix I1). The draft RFP is currently open for stakeholder feedback. Developers interested in participating should monitor the Duke Energy RFP Carolinas website for updates regarding the final RFP issuance, proposal deadlines, stakeholder meetings, and Q&A periods, as those dates are not yet specified in the draft materials.

This solicitation is part of Duke Energy's ongoing resource planning to meet renewable energy and capacity needs, with a focus on solar generation and integrated solar-plus-storage solutions. The UOT provisions offer developers an asset sale exit, while the PPA pathway provides long-term revenue contracts. The final RFP is expected to include specific deadlines, megawatt targets, and evaluation criteria, building on the framework established in prior Duke Energy solar RFPs from 2023 through 2025.