- Funding will benefit nonprofits, local emergency
management agencies and economic development
organizations
- Initiatives will support long-term recovery in western
North Carolina to aid with ongoing
challenges that extend far beyond power delivery
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy and its Foundation
today announced it has supported local communities across
North Carolina with over
$2.2 million in aid for disaster
relief, rebuilding and readiness efforts since Hurricane Helene's
impact. The announcement comes on the heels of the company's
historic power restoration effort in the state's western mountain
region.
"Duke Energy is committed to supporting disaster relief and
readiness in the communities we serve," said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy North Carolina state
president. "We are proud to partner with nonprofit organizations
and local emergency management agencies that are making a real
impact in these efforts."
Supporting Communities
Over $1 million in
Duke Energy Foundation grants have been distributed for immediate
relief and long-term recovery in western North Carolina.
Additional aid provided to local communities for disaster
relief, rebuilding and readiness from the company and its
Foundation includes the following:
- Flexibility was given for $500,000 of previous Duke Energy Foundation
grants to be used for community relief and recovery through western
North Carolina organizations.
- More than $200,000 has
been committed to economic development organizations to support the
repair, improvement and advancement of industrial sites, buildings
and infrastructure in western North
Carolina.
- New grants totaling $500,000 from the Duke Energy Foundation will
support disaster readiness in central and eastern North Carolina.
WNC Communities serves over 20 counties in the western
mountain region of North Carolina
and has provided immediate relief for farmers whose agricultural
operations were impacted by the storm.
"Duke Energy's support for our disaster relief program will make
a big difference in assisting the agricultural community in our
region in their recovery efforts," said Jennifer Ferre, executive director of WNC
Communities. "This support demonstrates Duke Energy's commitment to
making sure western North Carolina
remains strong in the face of this crisis."
MANNA FoodBank, located in Asheville, has played a critical role in
distributing food, water and supplies to western North Carolina communities impacted by
Hurricane Helene.
"In the critical early days following the storm, Duke Energy was
among the first to reach out, offering their assistance and
partnership," said Claire Neal, CEO
of MANNA FoodBank. "Their prompt and generous response has been
instrumental in our disaster relief efforts, enabling us to provide
much-needed food and resources to those affected by the
devastation. Together, we are making a significant difference in
the lives of our community members during this challenging
time."
The Duke Energy Foundation has provided over $3.2 million in disaster preparedness and
response grants in North Carolina
since 2020.
Western North Carolina Grant Recipients
The Duke Energy Foundation awarded grants to the following
organizations to support their disaster relief and recovery efforts
in western North Carolina:
- American Red Cross North Carolina
- Asheville Area Chamber of
Commerce's Community Betterment Foundation Mountain Strong
Fund
- Baptists on Mission
- Beloved Asheville
- Caldwell County Emergency
Services
- Caldwell County United Way
- Camp Grier
- Community Foundation of Henderson
County
- Community Housing Coalition of Madison County
- Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
- Eblen Charities
- Feeding Avery Families
- Interfaith Assistance Ministries
- Land of Sky Regional Council
- MANNA Food Bank
- McDowell County
- McDowell County Chamber of
Commerce Foundation
- Mitchell County Development Foundation
- Mitchell County Emergency
Management
- North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund at the United Way of
North Carolina
- Samaritan's Purse
- Second Harvest Food Bank
- Swain County
- Transylvania County
- United Way of Haywood
- WNC Communities
A list of Duke Energy Foundation disaster readiness grant
recipients in central and eastern North
Carolina can be found here.
Historic Power Restoration Effort
Hurricane Helene was one of the most impactful storms in the
company's history and required an unprecedented response to ensure
swift power restoration for over 1.4 million outages in
North Carolina.
Strategic resource staging, helicopter and drone operations,
mobile substation deployments, advanced mapping techniques and
close coordination with local, state and federal partners were
critical to the success of the company's historic restoration
operation in the mountain region.
Duke Energy crews were able to restore power to the hardest-hit
areas of western North Carolina
faster than expected by implementing innovative solutions in the
field, and restoration is complete for customers able to receive
service. Assistance and resources have been extended to those
affected by Helene, and the company stands ready to assist
customers with account questions and reconnections as damaged
structures are repaired.
Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to
meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and
work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy
shareholders.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE:
DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric
utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities
serve 1.7 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition,
keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the
forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions
from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions
from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in
major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including
expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the
Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy
on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook,
and visit illumination for stories about the people and
innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: Garrett Poorman
X (Twitter): @DE_GarrettP
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy