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Today’s newsletter is 1,003 words — a 4-minute read.

North Carolina will suspend the 41-cent state tax on gas and diesel through the end of November, pending the governor's signature.

Why it matters: The money will bring relief from months of high prices, especially to the shipping and farming industries and any company that manages a large fleet of vehicles.

What they're saying: Republican House Speaker Destin Hall told reporters lawmakers hope and expect "that gets passed along to the customer."

State of play: Prices at the pump likely won't come down immediately.

• "There will be some lag time" for ordinary consumers, since fuel stations pay the taxes upfront and include them in prices, Republican Sen. Buck Newton said.
• Individuals could benefit most once stations sell off their taxed fuel and receive untaxed deliveries.

Follow the money: If prices were to drop the full 41 cents per gallon, drivers of North Carolina's most popular vehicles would save about $6 to $10 per fill-up.

Yes, but: That's unlikely to happen.

• A spring Penn Wharton Budget Model projection estimated that in North Carolina, consumers would save about 30 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24 cents per gallon on diesel during a tax holiday of roughly this length.

Follow the money: Not collecting the taxes will cost the state $362 million, nonpartisan legislative staff project.

• Most of that money is used to build and maintain state highways. Lawmakers ordered it all be replaced with cash from reserves.

The latest: The measure sailed through both chambers of the General Assembly with bipartisan support yesterday.

• Democrats criticized the Republican-led measure for its timing — the midterms are one month away — and for not going far enough to help those struggling with the cost of living.

Share before gassing up

Duke Energy and some of the world's biggest companies have reached an agreement over a new large load tariff in North Carolina for data centers and other high-demand energy users.

Why it matters: The creation of the tariff — essentially rules that high-use customers have to follow to gain access to electricity — comes as residents increasingly push back against the construction of new data centers in the state.

Driving the news: The proposed settlement on the tariff was submitted to the N.C. Utilities Commission on Tuesday.

• It was supported by Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta, all of which operate data centers in the state or are planning new ones.

Between the lines: The new rules don't specifically name data centers as their aim.

• They are written to apply to energy customers whose demand is greater than 50 megawatts and consistently operate near peak capacity or any customer whose total demand is more than 150 megawatts.
• Those thresholds make it so that the rules will likely only apply to the largest of data centers.

Zoom in: The proposed rules, which are meant to prevent costs from being passed on to households, include:

• An up-front deposit for any electrical infrastructure built specifically for a new project.
• A minimum monthly payment of at least 75% of their projected electricity demand, even if using less.
• A requirement to pay damages if a high-use customer terminates its contract with Duke Energy or reduces contract demand.

Go deeper into what Duke and its critics say

🌀 Winds from Isaias are forecast to stay west of North Carolina, but there may be heavy weekend rain, especially in western parts of the state. (Spectrum)

🐘 Michael Whatley's own campaign says it's pausing TV ad spending after Republican super PACs did the same. (News & Observer)

OSHA is investigating after a Wake County garbage truck worker died on the job. (WRAL)

👀 UNC's campus police chief says the department will stop auto-sharing Flock camera footage with other law enforcement agencies. (Daily Tar Heel)

📹 MrBeast filmed a video inside Raleigh's Triangle Town Center mall. (Instagram)

Dampf Good BBQ, the Michelin-recommended Texas-style barbecue joint, will not expand to Durham after all, owner Nick Dampf said on social media yesterday.

Why it matters: Dampf has faced mounting backlash over choosing Durham's Geer Street for a permanent location after local residents, activists and social media users discovered a string of conservative social media posts made a few years ago.

Zoom in: The Dampf family's posts criticized things like abortion, same-sex families, drag shows and critical race theory.

• Geer Street has long prided itself on its LGBTQ+ inclusivity, and a previous church-run coffee shop on the street also faced protests due to its stance on same-sex marriage.
• Dampf said on Instagram that the restaurant will find another space.

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The Horseshoe development at Hub RTP has landed yet another food concept.

State of play: Little Barrow, a new concept created by Durham entrepreneur Bruce Kramer, signed a 2,482-square-foot lease at 3151 Elion Dr., next to the Indian restaurant Cheeni.

Zoom in: Little Barrow is being pitched as a health-focused, quick-service restaurant.

• The menu is built around build-your-own grain bowls free of seed oils, refined sugars and gluten.
• Bowl ingredients include: Persian rice, sweet potato noodles, charred broccoli, gluten-free mac and cheese, miso salmon bites and steak strips.
• The restaurant is expected to open next year.

The big picture: The Horseshoe is set to become one of the more interesting food destinations in the Triangle. Already it is home to Cheeni, Nanny Goat and Drift Coffee & Kitchen.

• Other restaurants opening soon include: Di Fara Pizza, High Horse and Prime STQ.

Tell a lunch buddy

🇮🇹 Zachery is excited to try Gallicchio's Market in Raleigh.

👻 Mary Helen enjoyed the Halloween decorations on the walk between the legislature and Left Hook Coffee.

Thanks to Melissa Oyler for editing this newsletter.