The Federal Reserve's significant interest rate cuts since September 2025 have created a favorable environment for Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a regulated utility serving 10 million customers across five states. Lower rates reduce refinancing costs on the company's $103 billion five-year capital plan and make its 3.41% yield more attractive to income investors. This macroeconomic backdrop is central to the article's analysis of Duke's financial stability and dividend safety. Duke Energy demonstrates strong dividend coverage metrics, with a trailing twelve-month earnings payout ratio of 65% and operating cash flow covering common dividends 3.74 times. Although reported free cash flow appears negative due to $14.02 billion in capital expenditures for generation and grid expansion to meet AI load demands, this is consistent with the utility model where growth investments are funded through rate base recovery. Financial strength is further evidenced by an EBITDA of $16.48 billion, equity of $54.46 billion, and a cash balance that jumped 350% year-over-year to $2.14 billion in Q1 2026 following strategic transactions. The company has increased its dividend annually since 2013, rising from $0.78 to $1.065 in 2026, with CEO Harry Sideris projecting 5% to 7% EPS growth through 2030. The article concludes that Duke's dividend is 'rock solid' given its low beta of 0.379 and strong fundamentals, though it notes specific risks including potential regulatory rejection of a 14% rate request in North Carolina or underperformance in contracted data center demand.