Duke Energy Foundation offers $500,000 to strengthen emergency preparedness across South Carolina

• HERO grant program will pay for training, equipment and resources that strengthen readiness, response and resilience to severe weather.

• Now in its fifth year, the program helps first responders fill critical gaps and better protect the communities they serve.

GREENVILLE, S.C., March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Foundation is investing $500,000 in South Carolina communities through its Helping Emergency Response Organizations (HERO) grant program to support weather-related emergency preparedness and response across the Palmetto State.

Why it matters: Earlier this year, South Carolina experienced severe weather across the state, including in communities that were hard-hit by Hurricane Helene. As extreme weather grows in intensity, first responders constantly work to find ways to increase their resiliency and prepare for future major weather events. Duke Energy Foundation micro grants help local government and nonprofits fill the gap when storms create overlapping emergencies.  

How it works: Beginning March 19, South Carolina government agencies and qualified nonprofits can apply for grants up to $20,000 to fund training, equipment and materials to increase resiliency to major weather events and recovery operations. Applications close April 25.

• Funding is available to support community storm preparedness training, materials, kits or shelters, specialized training for first responders and equipment necessary for severe weather rescues and scenarios.
• Learn more and apply at duke-energy.com/SCHEROgrants.

By the numbers

• This is the fifth year of the $500,000 microgrant program – bringing total support to $2.5 million.
• Since 2022, Duke Energy's HERO grants have funded 137 microgrants in South Carolina. Read more about the impact of these investments.

What they're saying

• Tim Pearson, Duke Energy's South Carolina president: "When severe weather impacts communities across our state, we work alongside first responders and understand the challenges they face to restore life back to normal. This year's HERO grants continue to help fill gaps in storm response identified by severe weather events and help provide additional tools and training to our fellow first responders."
• Joshua Hawkins, Director, Anderson County Emergency Management: "Thanks to the Duke Energy HERO Grant, we were able to deploy a traffic trailer with 300 cones to our local volunteer fire departments during the recent winter storms. This may have been a simple purchase, but it makes a big impact countywide. We truly appreciate Dukes partnership with all responders."
• Richard Pring, Director of Public Works, City of Sumter: "The Salt Dogg spreader we purchased this year through the grant provided by Duke Energy significantly enhanced our ability to respond to the winter weather events we experienced in February. Thanks to the addition of this new spreader, we were able to double our treatment capacity and effectively manage more than three inches of snowfall across the city."
• V. Aaron Smith, Coordinator, Oconee County Emergency Services: "The investment that Duke Energy continues to place in emergency preparedness and response is essential to bolstering our local capabilities and we are grateful for the partnership! The ability to have a second shelter trailer has been an invaluable addition. During our recent winter weather, we were able to open two simultaneous shelters with 25-person capacity, one also able to accommodate special medical needs."

Duke Energy Foundation
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 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 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 energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

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: Catherine Ramirez
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy