Duke Energy announced on Mar. 17 that its new Green Source Advantage Express (GSA Express) program for large business customers in North Carolina has exceeded initial enrollment targets, reflecting significant demand for renewable energy options across the state.
The GSA Express program allows nonresidential customers to subscribe to capacity from new renewable energy facilities connected to Duke Energy’s grid. This enables participants to match up to 100 percent of their annual electricity use with clean energy without having to secure off-site generation independently. The company said this approach provides a more streamlined and flexible solution compared to its standard Green Source Advantage plan, while also generating revenue from the sale of clean energy environmental attributes that benefit all Duke Energy retail customers.
Early participants in the program include Cisco, United States Cold Storage Inc., and Daimler Truck North America. Meghan Dewey, senior vice president of products, services and pricing solutions for Duke Energy, said: “The strong initial response to Green Source Advantage demonstrates how the program meets the real‑world needs of organizations focused on sustainability. By listening to our customers and building on the success of earlier initiatives, we’re proud to offer businesses and institutions a simpler, more flexible path to achieving their clean energy goals – empowering them to make meaningful progress toward a smarter energy future.”
Evan S. Brown, renewable energy program manager for Cisco, said: “Cisco is proud to build on its long-standing energy strategy in North Carolina by participating in Duke Energy’s GSA Express program. The program enables access to locally sourced, scalable renewable power that supports our sustainability goals and long-term energy planning. It strengthens the reliability of our Research Triangle Park operations while contributing incremental capacity to the North Carolina energy grid – demonstrating how local partnerships can deliver practical energy solutions.”
Jeff Allen, chief operating officer for Daimler Truck North America, added: “Partnering with Duke Energy through the GSA Express program is an important step in advancing our sustainability goals and supporting the long-term energy needs of our operations. With a large manufacturing footprint in the area, this program gives us a reliable, scalable way to access clean energy directly from the grid – helping us reduce our emissions footprint while strengthening the resilience of our network. We’re proud to be among the first participants and appreciate Duke Energy’s commitment to making renewable energy more accessible for companies in North Carolina.”
Michael Lynch, senior vice president – sustainable engineering and automation for United States Cold Storage, said: “US Cold has set clear climate goals, including a commitment to source 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030 and science-based carbon reduction targets that have been independently validated. Programs like Duke Energy’s GSA Express help us advance those commitments in a practical way, alongside investments we’re already making onsite, such as the solar installation at our Lumberton facility. Together, these efforts reflect our long-term approach to building a more resilient, sustainable cold chain network.”
According to Duke Energy’s announcement, GSA Express has reached subscriptions totaling 177.3 megawatts (MW), with 87.3 MW allocated within Duke Energy Carolinas territory and 90 MW within Duke Energy Progress territory. Ten percent of additional capacity each year is reserved for new business customers but will be released if not subscribed by late 2026.
Eligibility requirements specify that nonresidential customers must have an annual peak demand of at least 1 MW at one location or at least 5 MW across multiple locations within one service territory.
To support accurate emissions reporting for participating businesses, Duke Energy has launched an Environmental Attribute Tracking tool developed with Cleartrace.
Duke Energy serves millions of electric and natural gas customers across several states as it continues investing in grid upgrades and cleaner generation sources.
