Duke Energy plans more than $50 million in Caldwell County grid upgrades, work to run through 2028

Duke Energy representatives told the Caldwell County Board that the utility will invest ‘‘north of $50,000,000’’ to rebuild and modernize both overhead and underground distribution systems across much of the county. Robin Nicholson, who introduced the program, said Duke had met with local municipalities and will assign a county contact to keep officials and residents informed.

Michael Legge, a Duke Energy presenter, gave the schedule and technical goals: "Work is scheduled to commence as early as June 30, and it will continue all the way through December 2028," and the program will include installation of a "self-healing network" designed to isolate outages and restore service more quickly. Legge said residents should expect a substantial contractor presence, occasional traffic detours where roads are narrow, and that much of the work will be done by third-party contractors rather than Duke-branded trucks.

Nicholson stressed community coordination, saying crews will avoid key local events: "We have made sure that our crews will not be in the way for the Blackberry Festival that's coming up." County commissioners asked how customers would be notified of planned outages; Duke staff said customers who sign up for text, email or app alerts will receive notices tied to the account's contact information. The presentation named specific towns and areas expected to see work and said the upgrades should improve reliability and support local economic growth by providing greater capacity.