Duke Energy powers storm resiliency in N.C. communities with $1.1 million in grants

- 65 organizations across North Carolina receive grants to prepare for future emergencies and storms

News provided by

Aug 29, 2019, 12:37 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy today announced more than $1.1 million in funding to help North Carolina communities increase their response capabilities for future weather events with advance preparation and planning.

Sixty-five grant recipients across the state were selected from more than 140 applications, with projects ranging from swift water rescue equipment and specialized radios to nonprofit training and Spanish language outreach. Awarded projects will be implemented in communities over the following weeks and months.

"The overwhelming response to this grant opportunity underscores the profound need of our communities – many still recovering from the devastation of last year's storms," said Stephen De May, North Carolina president, Duke Energy. "We want to help our communities become more resilient to the impacts of a major storm. And with the season's first major hurricane forming in the Atlantic, we have a vivid reminder of the importance of advance planning."

"We are very thankful for the support of Duke Energy to help us develop a stormwater resiliency plan to manage flooding while maintaining the quality of water in our ocean, the sound, and our canals," stated Atlantic Beach Mayor, Trace Cooper. "Their support underlines their commitment to our communities and will allow us to leverage the support of our other partners in this process."

The storm resiliency grants, funded by the Duke Energy Foundation, support:

Specialized training for first responders for severe weather scenarios.

Organized planning initiatives for communities to prepare for extreme weather.

Equipment necessary for severe weather rescues to preserve human life.

Community storm preparedness training, materials, kits or shelters.

Emergency communication tools for severe weather scenarios.

Improved outcomes for low-income communities experiencing extreme weather.

Powerful Communities: Storm Resiliency Grant Recipients

Activate Good	American Red Cross
Anson County Emergency Services	Arapahoe Volunteer Fire & Rescue
Arlington Fire & Rescue	Beaufort County
Bladen County Sheriff's Office	Cary CERT Association
Caswell County	Chatham County
Chatham County Council on Aging	City of Durham Fire Department
City of Fayetteville Police Department	City of Goldsboro
City of Jacksonville	City of King
City of Lumberton Fire Department	City of New Bern
City of Sanford	City of Thomasville
City of Whiteville	City of Winston-Salem
Cleveland County	Cleveland Fire Department
Columbus County Sheriff's Office	County of Burke
County of Harnett	County of Hoke
County of Lee	County of Onslow
County of Yadkin	Craven County Emergency Services
Cullasaja Gorge Fire & Rescue	Deep Branch Volunteer Fire
Durham County	Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Greensboro Fire Department	Jones County Emergency Management
Lewisville Volunteer Fire Department	Linville-Central Rescue Squad
McDowell County Government	Miller's Ferry Volunteer Fire Department
Mitchell County Emergency Management	Morrisville CERT
NC Center for Nonprofits	Northwest Harnett Volunteer Fire Department
Prospera	Salisbury Fire Department
Sampson County	South Orange Rescue Squad
Stokes County Emergency Services	Surry County Emergency Management
The Salvation Army	Town of Atlantic Beach
Town of Carrboro	Town of Chapel Hill
Town of Harrisburg	Town of Leland
Town of Morehead City	Town of Newport
Town of Siler City	Town of Smithfield
Trenton Volunteer Fire Department	Union County Government
Wayne County

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts, and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

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: Meredith Archie
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy