Duke Energy Progress LLC asked the North Carolina Utilities Commission to approve its Hot Springs microgrid project consisting of a 2-megawatt solar facility and a 4-megawatt lithium-based battery storage facility in Madison County, according to an Oct. 8 filing with the agency. The company said the project provides an innovative grid solution without the need for costly upgrades and maintenance of an existing distribution power line in the remote town. The project is part of the company’s Western Carolinas Modernization Project aimed at advancing clean energy in the region and also includes a plan to replace a coal power plant in Asheville with a gas-powered plant next year. The company’s integrated resource plan includes an investment of $500 million in battery storage projects in the Carolinas over the next 15 years, resulting in a 20-fold increase in the region’s storage capacity.