Duke Energy announced on Mar. 17 that its 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 is designed to help nonresidential customers subscribe to capacity from new renewable energy facilities connected to Duke Energy’s grid. This allows participants to match up to 100% of their annual electricity use with clean energy without having to secure off-site generation independently.
According to Duke Energy, the program was developed as a more streamlined alternative to its standard Green Source Advantage plan, based on customer feedback. The company said GSA Express also benefits all retail customers through revenue generated from the sale of clean energy environmental attributes, regardless of participation. Early participants 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.”
To date, 177.3 megawatts have been subscribed under GSA Express—87.3 MW 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; if not subscribed by year-end it will be released more broadly.
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.
Duke Energy has also introduced an Environmental Attribute Tracking tool with Cleartrace partnership so customers can verify tracking of clean energy attributes and related carbon reductions.
Looking ahead, company officials say they are committed to expanding access as interest grows among businesses seeking reliable paths toward sustainability.
