Duke Energy nuclear fleet sets new all-time reliability record, delivers value for customers

Rhea-AI Summary

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) reported its nuclear fleet set a new reliability record in 2025 with a 96.9% capacity factor, delivering dependable power across the Carolinas. The fleet generated roughly $600 million in federal nuclear production tax credits that Duke says are passed directly to customers.

Duke operates 11 units at six sites and supplies power to more than 8 million homes regionally while pursuing lifespan extensions, power uprates and advanced reactor development.

Positive

• Capacity factor reached 96.9% in 2025 (new system record)
• Approximately $600 million in federal nuclear production tax credits passed to customers
• Operates 11 nuclear units at six sites, supplying power to >8 million homes
• Nuclear is largest generation source in the Carolinas for Duke Energy

Negative

• None.

News Market Reaction – DUK

-0.70%

1 alert

-0.70% News Effect

On the day this news was published, DUK declined 0.70%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Nuclear capacity factor: 96.9% Customer savings: $600 million Nuclear units: 11 units +5 more

8 metrics

Nuclear capacity factor 96.9% Systemwide nuclear fleet capacity factor in 2025

Customer savings $600 million Federal nuclear production tax credits passed through to customers in 2025

Nuclear units 11 units Duke Energy nuclear units operated across the Carolinas

Nuclear sites 6 sites Locations hosting Duke Energy nuclear units in the Carolinas

Homes served More than 8 million Homes powered by Duke’s nuclear fleet in the region

Brunswick capacity 1,870 MW Brunswick Nuclear Plant nameplate capacity

McGuire capacity 2,316 MW McGuire Nuclear Station nameplate capacity

Oconee capacity 2,554 MW Oconee Nuclear Station nameplate capacity

Market Reality Check

Price: $126.78 Vol: Volume 4,788,704 is near ...

normal vol

$126.78 Last Close

Volume Volume 4,788,704 is near the 20-day average of 4,879,088, suggesting typical trading interest ahead of this news. normal

Technical Shares at 126.37 are trading above the 200-day MA of 120.57 and sit about 2.8% below the 52-week high of 130.03.

Peers on Argus

With DUK up about 0.9% and only one peer (AEP) in the momentum scan, also up rou...

1 Up

With DUK up about 0.9% and only one peer (AEP) in the momentum scan, also up roughly 1.0%, broader utilities moves appear mixed rather than a coordinated sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 13 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 13	Customer support update	Positive	+1.7%	Bill relief details and assistance programs after a Florida cold snap.
Feb 12	Technology / AI	Positive	+0.7%	Use of AI tools to detect and reduce customer-targeted scams.
Feb 10	Earnings update	Positive	+1.6%	Release of Q4 and full-year 2025 financial results and outlook.
Feb 05	Reputation / awards	Positive	+1.0%	Recognition as a Fortune World's Most Admired Company with grid metrics.
Feb 05	Community investment	Positive	+1.0%	Announcement of $500,000 in grants to strengthen NC energy workforce.

Pattern Detected

Recent Duke Energy headlines have generally been positive, with shares showing modest positive reactions across customer support, technology, reputation, community investment and earnings updates.

Recent Company History

Over the past few months, Duke Energy has highlighted customer support initiatives after a cold snap, deployment of AI tools to combat scams, recognition among Fortune's most admired companies, workforce investments, and its Q4 and full-year 2025 financial results. Each of these announcements coincided with modest positive price reactions between about 0.7% and 1.7% over the following day. The new nuclear reliability record fits into a pattern of steady, operations-focused updates that the market has tended to receive constructively.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf · $4,000,000,000

Shelf Active

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2025-09-30

$4,000,000,000 registered capacity

An effective Form S-3ASR dated September 30, 2025 registers up to $4,000,000,000 of PremierNotes, unsecured floating rate demand notes with a maximum net principal outstanding of $2,000,000,000. A 424B3 filed on 2025-12-22 updated interest rates, indicating the shelf has been used for this funding program.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights a record 96.9% nuclear fleet capacity factor in 2025 and roughly $600 m...

Analysis

This announcement highlights a record 96.9% nuclear fleet capacity factor in 2025 and roughly $600 million in federal nuclear production tax-credit savings passed through to customers. It reinforces Duke Energy’s role in serving more than 8 million homes with around-the-clock power. In context of recent positive news and an active PremierNotes shelf of up to $4,000,000,000, investors may watch how ongoing nuclear performance, capital plans, and regulatory developments interact over time.

Key Terms

capacity factor, nuclear production tax credits, megawatts

3 terms

capacity factor technical

"Record capacity factor of 96.9% reached in 2025, marking new record"

Capacity factor is the percentage of time a power plant or energy asset actually produces electricity compared with the maximum it could produce if it ran at full output continuously. For investors it shows how much revenue and value to expect from the asset — like judging a car by how often it’s driven near top speed rather than its top speed alone — and helps compare different technologies, project reliability, and cash‑flow forecasts.

nuclear production tax credits financial

"approximately $600 million in savings for customers through federal nuclear production tax credits"

Nuclear production tax credits are government payments tied to the amount of electricity a nuclear plant generates, effectively lowering the plant’s operating cost for each unit of power produced. For investors, these credits act like a steady per-unit subsidy—similar to a rebate or coupon given for every item sold—improving a plant’s cash flow, reducing financial risk, and making utility and energy companies that rely on nuclear generation more attractive or stable investments.

megawatts technical

"Brunswick Nuclear Plant | 1,870 MW | 2 units | Southport, N.C."

A megawatt is a measure of electrical power equal to one million watts, describing how much electricity a plant or device can generate or use at a single moment. Investors use megawatts to compare the size and earning potential of energy projects—larger capacity usually means more electricity to sell—much like comparing the horsepower of engines to judge how much work they can do. Knowing megawatts helps assess scale, revenue potential, and grid impact of energy assets.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

• Record capacity factor of 96.9% reached in 2025, marking new record for plant reliability
• Nuclear plants delivered approximately $600 million in savings for customers through federal nuclear production tax credits

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy's nuclear fleet set a new reliability record in 2025, providing communities across the Carolinas with around-the-clock power customers can count on. Steady, predictable output from nuclear units strengthens grid reliability and helps manage system costs, directly supporting growing energy needs.

By the numbers:

• Duke Energy's nuclear plants were generating power a combined 96.9% of the time in 2025, a new record for systemwide capacity factor.
• The fleet's strong performance resulted in approximately $600 million in federal nuclear production tax credits, which are directly passed on to customers to help reduce costs.
• Duke Energy operates 11 nuclear units at six sites across the Carolinas, making nuclear energy the company's largest generation source in the region.
• The fleet provides power to more than 8 million homes across the region with consistent, around-the-clock performance.

What they're saying:

• Kelvin Henderson, chief nuclear officer for Duke Energy: "This new record shows the unmatched reliability our nuclear plants deliver every day. It demonstrates the value we're committed to providing for our customers, and it reflects the skill and dedication of the teams who operate these facilities with excellence."

Looking ahead: Duke Energy's nuclear strategy – extending operational lifespan, conducting power uprates to gain more capacity from existing infrastructure, and engaging in advanced reactor development – builds on year‑over‑year gains in output.

The result is dependable, low‑cost power that helps meet growing energy demands in the Carolinas and strengthens long‑term energy security.

Nuclear fleet snapshot:

Plant	Capacity (MW)	Units	Location
Brunswick Nuclear Plant	1,870 MW	2 units	Southport, N.C.
Harris Nuclear Plant	964 MW	1 unit	New Hill, N.C.
McGuire Nuclear Station	2,316 MW	2 units	Huntersville, N.C.
Catawba Nuclear Station	2,310 MW	2 units	York, S.C.
Oconee Nuclear Station	2,554 MW	3 units	Seneca, S.C.
Robinson Nuclear Plant	759 MW	1 unit	Hartsville, S.C.

Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition. 

Contact: Kelly Woods
24-hour: 800.559.3853

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-nuclear-fleet-sets-new-all-time-reliability-record-delivers-value-for-customers-302693282.html

SOURCE Duke Energy

FAQ

What record did Duke Energy (DUK) announce for its nuclear fleet in 2025?

Duke Energy announced a 96.9% capacity factor for its nuclear fleet in 2025, a new all-time record. According to the company, this reflects systemwide reliability and higher sustained output across its 11 units at six sites.

How much did Duke Energy (DUK) say customers saved from federal nuclear production tax credits in 2025?

Duke Energy reported about $600 million in federal nuclear production tax credits in 2025 that are passed to customers. According to the company, those credits directly help reduce customer costs by lowering system-level expenses.

How many nuclear units and sites does Duke Energy (DUK) operate in the Carolinas?

Duke Energy operates 11 nuclear units across six sites in the Carolinas. According to the company, those units include Brunswick, Harris, McGuire, Catawba, Oconee and Robinson stations serving regional demand.

What customer reach did Duke Energy (DUK) report for its nuclear fleet power delivery?

The company said its nuclear fleet provides power to more than 8 million homes across the region with continuous output. According to the company, that steady supply supports grid reliability and helps manage system costs.

What near-term nuclear strategy did Duke Energy (DUK) describe following the 2025 reliability record?

Duke Energy described plans to extend operational lifespans, pursue power uprates and engage in advanced reactor development. According to the company, these steps build on year-over-year output gains to strengthen long-term energy security.