October 4, 2024 - Duke Energy said Thursday it plans to delay the retirement of its largest coal-burning power plant, scuttling its efforts to be free of the fossil fuel by 2035.

The utility outlined its plans in an online presentation  that said the Gibson station in Indiana would convert two of five total units to “enable co-firing natural gas with coal, allowing them to continue to operate through 2038.” The utility listed that 2038 scenario as its “preferred portfolio” in the presentation. Previously, Duke was aiming to retire the facility by 2035 with the rest of its coal fleet.

The potential move was criticized by environmentalists, but Duke said in an emailed statement that its emissions goals remain unchanged and that progress on them “will not be linear as we retire coal and bring new generation resources online.”

“Over time our diverse energy mix will enable us to reach our 2050 net-zero carbon emission ambitions,” said Duke spokesperson Angeline Protogere.