Duke Energy interconnection requirements
Sample preview — compiled from public sources 2026-08-19
Who this applies to
This page covers behind-the-meter generating facilities — solar, storage, and solar-plus-storage — interconnecting in parallel with a Duke Energy distribution system in its two biggest distributed-solar jurisdictions:
- The Carolinas — Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP), which are separate operating companies with separate rate riders. In North Carolina, interconnection runs under the NCUC-approved North Carolina Interconnection Procedures (NCIP); in South Carolina, under the South Carolina Generator Interconnection Procedures (SCGIP) adopted under Act 62 of 2019. Billing for new solar customers is the Solar Choice family of riders in both states.
- Florida — Duke Energy Florida (DEF), where customer-owned renewable generation up to 2 MW interconnects under Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065 and its three size-based tiers.
What this page does not cover yet: Duke Energy Indiana, Duke Energy Ohio, and Duke Energy Kentucky. Those states run under different state interconnection standards and are planned as separate additions to this wiki. Wholesale and transmission-level interconnections are also out of scope.
Application pathway overview
Duke Energy takes interconnection requests through its online interconnection portal, with the pathway determined first by state and then by system size. The interconnection review (state procedures) and the billing rider you enroll in (Solar Choice and its siblings) are separate decisions that travel together in the same filing.
North Carolina. The NCIP is a size-laddered process: certified inverter-based systems no larger than 20 kW file under the simplified Section 2 review; larger certified systems within the Fast Track eligibility table are screened under the Section 3 Fast Track process (Duke publishes Fast Track as covering behind-the-meter projects larger than 20 kW up to 2 MW); projects that fail screens or exceed eligibility go to the study process. New residential solar enrolls in Rider RSC (Residential Solar Choice, a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing) or Rider NMB (Net Metering Bridge, limited enrollment, no time-of-use requirement); legacy Rider NM customers who applied by September 30, 2023 continue through December 31, 2026.
South Carolina. The SCGIP mirrors the same ladder — certified small systems, Fast Track screens for eligible facilities, and studies beyond that — with a Solar Choice time-of-use net metering tariff approved by the SC Public Service Commission under Act 62. An optional pre-application report is available for larger projects scoping a site.
Florida. DEF follows Rule 25-6.065's three tiers, sized by gross power rating in AC terms (inverter-based systems: DC nameplate × 0.85).
| State · Pathway | Typical projects | Review |
|---|---|---|
| NC · NCIP Section 2 (≤20 kW) | Residential and small commercial certified inverter-based solar and paired storage | Simplified review; most residential projects file here |
| NC · NCIP Section 3 Fast Track (>20 kW–2 MW) | Commercial behind-the-meter systems within the Fast Track eligibility table | Technical screens instead of studies; supplemental review or study if screens fail |
| SC · SCGIP (certified / Fast Track / study) | Same ladder as NC under South Carolina's procedures | Screens for eligible certified facilities; pre-application report available for larger projects |
| FL · Tier 1 (≤10 kW AC) | Most residential solar | Streamlined; no application fee, no insurance requirement |
| FL · Tier 2 (>10–100 kW AC) | Large residential and commercial | Standard Interconnection Agreement, fee, proof of insurance, disconnect switch |
| FL · Tier 3 (>100 kW–2 MW AC) | Large commercial | As Tier 2, plus possible interconnection study |
Required forms & documents
The structural contents of a Duke Energy behind-the-meter packet. Exact forms differ by state and operating company (DEC vs. DEP vs. DEF); check every form against the current state procedures and tariff book before filing.
- Interconnection request through Duke Energy's online interconnection portal, tied to the correct operating company (DEC / DEP / DEF), account, and premise
- State-specific interconnection request application form — NCIP form set in NC, SCGIP form set in SC, tier-specific Standard Interconnection Agreement in FL confirm current revision
- Electrical one-line diagram showing point of interconnection, disconnects, overcurrent protection, and grounding
- Equipment specification sheets — certified (UL 1741) inverters and, where applicable, storage nameplate detail
- Insurance certification — part of the NC interconnection request; in FL, proof of general liability coverage for Tier 2 ($1M) and Tier 3 ($2M) listing the property address
- Externally accessible, lockable manual AC disconnect switch shown on the design where the state procedures require one (FL Tier 2/3; per NC/SC procedures for the applicable pathway)
- Billing rider election in the Carolinas — Rider RSC (Residential Solar Choice) or Rider NMB (Net Metering Bridge) while enrollment is available
- Application fee payment per the applicable state fee schedule
- After installation: the local jurisdiction's (AHJ) final inspection approval, submitted before permission to operate
Fees
Application fees are set per state procedures and tier, and are non-refundable. Projects pushed past screening into supplemental review or study pay additional study fees under the state procedures, and identified upgrades are billed to the applicant. In the Carolinas, note that some Solar Choice billing elements (minimum bill, non-bypassable charges, and a grid access fee on systems above 15 kW AC) are monthly rate components, not application fees.
| Item | Published amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NC application fee — certified systems ≤20 kW (NCIP Section 2) | $100 verify current schedule | Per the NCIP interconnection request application form |
| NC application fee — Fast Track systems 20–100 kW | $250 verify current schedule | Larger Fast Track and study-track projects pay more per the NCIP fee schedule |
| SC application fees — SCGIP size ladder | verify current schedule | Set in the SCGIP forms; an optional pre-application report for larger projects carries a $500 fee per the SCGIP verify current schedule |
| FL Tier 1 (≤10 kW AC) | No application fee | Rule 25-6.065 bars fees beyond standard retail charges at Tier 1 |
| FL Tier 2 (>10–100 kW AC) | $240 verify current schedule | Plus $1M general liability insurance proof |
| FL Tier 3 (>100 kW–2 MW AC) | $750 verify current schedule | Plus $2M insurance proof; an interconnection study charge may also apply per the rule |
Filing here every month?
Design partners get 5 free filings and their territory encoded first — packets produced with dual human review while the software is built.
Typical timeline stages
- Submission — interconnection request, documents, and fee through Duke Energy's online portal, under the correct operating company and state pathway.
- Completeness review — incomplete requests receive a deficiency notice; in Florida, Rule 25-6.065 requires the utility to notify the applicant of completeness or deficiencies within 10 business days.
- Technical review — Section 2 / tier review for small certified systems; Fast Track screens for eligible larger systems; supplemental review or study only where screens fail.
- Agreement execution — in Florida, the rule sets 30 calendar days for Tiers 1–2 and 90 days for Tier 3 where a study is needed; in the Carolinas, per the NCIP/SCGIP clocks for the applicable section.
- Installation and inspection — build to the approved design and obtain the local jurisdiction's final electrical approval.
- Meter and permission to operate — Duke completes any meter work and issues authorization; in Florida the rule requires the utility's physical inspection, where elected, within 30 calendar days of the customer's notice.
Common deficiency causes
Common ways Duke Energy applications fall short of the published requirements above — each item is a requirement in the state procedures and Duke documents cited on this page whose absence triggers a deficiency. Not drawn from SunDocket filing data.
- Filing under the wrong operating company or state pathway — DEC and DEP are separate companies with separate riders, and NC, SC, and FL procedures do not interchange
- One-line diagram missing the point of interconnection, disconnect, overcurrent protection, or grounding detail
- Non-certified equipment, or specification sheets missing for listed inverters and storage
- Missing or stale insurance certification — including FL Tier 2/3 certificates that do not list the property address
- Size math that crosses a pathway boundary — in Florida the AC rating is DC nameplate × 0.85, and a miscalculation can put a project in the wrong tier
- Billing rider election missing or inconsistent with the interconnection request in the Carolinas
- Missing signatures or a superseded form revision on the state application or interconnection agreement
- Missed deficiency-response windows, which can cost queue position or force resubmission
FAQ
How long does Duke Energy interconnection take?
Duke Energy does not publish a single guaranteed end-to-end number, and it varies by state and pathway. Structurally: a completeness review, then a technical screening or study step, then agreement execution, then installation and the local jurisdiction's inspection, then meter work and permission to operate. In Florida the PSC rule sets hard deadlines — completeness notice within 10 business days and agreement execution within 30 calendar days for Tiers 1–2 (90 days for Tier 3 if a study is needed). In the Carolinas, timing follows the NC Interconnection Procedures and SC Generator Interconnection Procedures review clocks for the section your project files under.
What is the Duke Energy interconnection application fee?
It depends on the state and the size-based pathway. Published figures place the North Carolina fee at $100 for certified systems no larger than 20 kW and $250 for Fast Track systems from 20 kW to 100 kW; Duke Energy Florida's Tier 1 has no application fee, with published Tier 2 and Tier 3 fees of $240 and $750. All amounts are revision-sensitive — verify current schedule in the applicable procedures and tariff before filing.
What is Solar Choice?
Solar Choice is the name of Duke Energy's net-metering successor billing structure in the Carolinas. In North Carolina it took effect October 1, 2023 as Rider RSC (Residential Solar Choice), a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing, alongside Rider NMB (Net Metering Bridge), a limited-enrollment alternative without the time-of-use requirement. In South Carolina, the Public Service Commission approved a Solar Choice time-of-use net metering tariff under Act 62. Solar Choice is a billing arrangement — the interconnection application itself is filed under the state interconnection procedures.
What happened to legacy net metering in North Carolina?
Customers who submitted a complete interconnection application under the legacy Rider NM by September 30, 2023 continue on it through December 31, 2026, after which they transition to the successor riders. New applications enroll under Rider RSC (Residential Solar Choice) or, while enrollment remains available, Rider NMB (Net Metering Bridge). The foundational order is NCUC Docket No. E-100, Sub 180.
Which Duke Energy states does this page cover?
North Carolina and South Carolina (Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress) and Florida (Duke Energy Florida). It does not yet cover Duke Energy Indiana, Duke Energy Ohio, or Duke Energy Kentucky — those states run under different interconnection standards and are planned as separate additions.
What is the Fast Track interconnection process?
Duke Energy's Fast Track process covers behind-the-meter projects larger than 20 kW and up to 2 MW in the Carolinas. Instead of full interconnection studies, certified generating facilities within the Fast Track eligibility table are evaluated against a set of technical screens; projects that pass the screens proceed to an agreement without a study, and projects that fail move to supplemental review or the study process.
Does Duke Energy Florida require liability insurance for net metering?
Not for Tier 1 (10 kW AC or less) — Florida's Rule 25-6.065 bars investor-owned utilities from requiring liability insurance at that tier. For Tier 2 (over 10 kW up to 100 kW) the rule allows the utility to require general liability coverage of no more than $1 million, and for Tier 3 (over 100 kW up to 2 MW) no more than $2 million; Duke Energy Florida's published tier process reflects those amounts.
Change log
- Page created from public sources.
Requirements drift. Get the changes.
When this page's change log gets a new entry, we'll email you that entry. Nothing else — see the privacy note.
Sources
- Duke Energy — Generate Your Own: Fast Track Interconnection Process (accessed 2026-08-19)
- Duke Energy — Net Metering Tier 2 Interconnection Process (Florida) (accessed 2026-08-19)
- NC Public Staff — Net Metering (accessed 2026-08-19)
- NCUC — North Carolina Interconnection Procedures, Forms, and Agreements (accessed 2026-08-19)
- PSC of SC — South Carolina Generator Interconnection Procedures, Forms, and Agreements (accessed 2026-08-19)
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 25-6.065 — Interconnection and Metering of Customer-Owned Renewable Generation (accessed 2026-08-19)
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