Duke Energy Renewables announces the largest wind power project in its fleet - 350-MW Frontier Windpower II in Oklahoma

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), today announced the largest wind power project in its fleet – the 350-megawatt (MW) Frontier Windpower II project in Kay County, Okla. The project is an expansion of Frontier Windpower, which has been operational since 2016. Once complete, Frontier I and II will generate a total of 550 MW of wind energy - enough to power approximately 193,000 homes.

Ball Corporation has signed a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 161 MW of the Frontier II project. Another major corporation has signed a VPPA for an additional 160 MW and will be announced later this year.

"Frontier II will deliver clean energy for Oklahoma and significant economic benefits to the area," said Rob Caldwell, president of Duke Energy Renewables. "We're pleased to be working with the Ball Corporation on the Frontier II project, which will be located in an area that has some of the best wind resources in the country."

"The renewable energy agreement with Duke Energy Renewables places Ball among the leading corporate buyers of renewable energy in our industry and the U.S., marking a critical moment in our sustainability journey," said John A. Hayes, chairman, president and CEO of Ball Corporation. "Utilizing renewable energy is an important lever to further enhance the sustainability credentials of our packaging and demonstrates our commitment to have the aluminum can recognized as the most sustainable package."

Ball was advised on the Frontier II VPPA by Schneider Electric Energy and Sustainability Services, which assisted the company in its project selection and negotiations.

Full mobilization for construction for Frontier II will occur later this summer, and the wind project will be fully operational by December 2020.

During peak construction, the wind project will create approximately 250 jobs.

Nordex Group will supply 74 4.8-MW wind turbines for the site.

"We are pleased to be working together with Duke Energy Renewables and particularly looking forward to working with one of the most experienced project developers in the U.S. This project will utilize one of the most modern turbines in the country. The turbine technology will maximize the wind resource in Oklahoma to benefit customers," says Patxi Landa, CSO of the Nordex Group.

The 350-MW Frontier Windpower II project will produce enough energy to power about 123,000 average homes.

Amshore US Wind provided development support for the project, and Wanzek Construction is the contractor.

Duke Energy is one of the nation's top renewable energy providers – on track to own or purchase 8,000 megawatts of wind, solar and biomass energy by 2020.

Duke Energy Renewables

Duke Energy Renewables, a nonregulated unit of Duke Energy, operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., with a total electric capacity of 3,000 megawatts. The power is sold to electric utilities, electric cooperatives, municipalities, and commercial and industrial customers. The unit also operates energy storage and microgrid projects. Visit Duke Energy Renewables for more information.

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, in addition to Duke Energy Renewables' capacity.

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.

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.  

Ball Corporation

Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 17,500 people worldwide and reported 2018 net sales of $11.6 billion. For more information about Ball, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Nordex Group

The Nordex Group has installed more than 25 GW of wind energy capacity in over 40 markets and in 2018 generated revenues of around EUR 2.5 billion. The company currently has more than 5,500 employees. The joint manufacturing capacity includes factories in Germany, Spain, Brazil, the United States, India and in the near future Argentina and Mexico. The product portfolio is focused on onshore turbines in the 2.4 to 5.X MW class, which are tailor-made for the market requirements in countries with limited space and regions with limited grid capacity.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by terms and phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "continue," "should," "could," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "will," "potential," "forecast," "target," "outlook," "guidance," and similar expressions. Various factors may cause actual results to be materially different than the suggested outcomes within forward-looking statements; accordingly, there is no assurance that such results will be realized. These risks and uncertainties are identified and discussed in Duke Energy's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and subsequent quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking statements might not occur or might occur to a different extent or at a different time than Duke Energy has described. Duke Energy expressly disclaims an obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact: Jennifer Garber 
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SOURCE Duke Energy

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