Duke Energy Florida to give away 1,200 free trees to customers to honor Florida Arbor Day

- 8,740 trees distributed since 2017 through Energy-Saving Trees program

- Additionally, company invested nearly $3 million in Florida nonprofits and employees volunteered almost 20,000 hours in 2019

News provided by

Duke Energy

Jan 17, 2020, 11:00 ET

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation's Energy-Saving Trees program, is giving away 1,200 free trees to its customers to honor Florida Arbor Day today.

Duke Energy customers can request a free tree, in a 1-gallon pot, online at arborday.org/dukeenergy starting today and continuing until all trees are distributed.

The trees are shipped directly to customers' homes with planting and care instructions. They are expected to be delivered in time for National Arbor Day, April 24, 2020.

Available tree species include the Crape myrtle, Dahoon Holly, Little Gem Magnolia, Sweetbay Magnolia and Red Bottlebrush.

Duke Energy Florida is investing $50,000 to purchase the trees and has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to distribute them.

Duke Energy has participated in the program for four consecutive years. Since 2017, the company has given away 8,740 trees to customers throughout the state.

"We're proud to continue offering free trees to our customers for the fourth straight year," said Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida president. "Trees planted in the right place help conserve energy, enable us to provide safe and reliable energy, and beautify our communities."

The Arbor Day Foundation's Energy-Saving Trees and Tree Line USA programs demonstrate how trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens by highlighting best management practices in public and private utility arboriculture. Duke Energy Florida has been recognized for its tree management practices for 14 consecutive years.

For information about planning and planting vegetation around electrical facilities, please visit Duke Energy's Right Tree Right Place website.

2019 Community Impact

Duke Energy Florida energized its communities with more than power in 2019, by investing nearly $3 million in Sunshine State nonprofit organizations.

The grants were awarded by the Duke Energy Foundation, which provides philanthropic support to meet critical community needs through its Powerful Communities program. The program funds community impact initiatives focused on K-12 education, nature, workforce and economic development.

The company partnered with the Tampa Bay Rays on its Victories for Veterans program for the fourth consecutive year, donating $105,000 through the Duke Energy Foundation to charities that support veterans across the state.

The Duke Energy Foundation also responded to emergent needs that arose in 2019, including $150,000 to Hurricane Michael recovery efforts.

Additionally, company employees volunteered almost 20,000 hours in their communities in 2019.

For more information on the Duke Energy Foundation, visit duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns a diverse generation mix of natural gas, coal and renewables, providing about 10,200 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.8 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact: Peveeta Persaud
Office: 727.820.5592 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_PeveetaP

SOURCE Duke Energy