Duke Energy Carolinas filed a request with the North Carolina Utilities Commission Wednesday for an increase in rates to cover its energy-efficiency programs. Customers using 1,000 kWh per month would see rates rise by $2.86 (residential) to $3.87 (non-residential) effective Jan. 1, 2014.

Duke asked for no change in its fuel charge. The company said the increased use of gas-fired generation and economies from the joint dispatching of Duke Energy Carolinas and Progress Energy Carolinas offset higher commodity prices. Progress will make its annual fuel and energy efficiency filings in June.

This request is separate from a proposed $446 million annual hike the company filed Feb. 5 to recover $3.8 billion in capital investments, including retirements and replacements of generation plants and transmission and distribution systems.

The capital investments include $1.5 billion for two new generating stations at Cliffside steam station, an 825 MW advanced coal-fired plant in Rutherford and Cleveland Counties and the 620 MW Dan River combined cycle natural gas plant in Rockingham County. The company also has invested $650 million in its Oconee and McGuire nuclear plants and $590 million in maintenance and upgrades to other existing generators and $722 million on its transmission and distribution systems.