Duke Energy Celebrates Earth Day with $500,000 in Grants to Increase Environmental Resilience in North Carolina | Duke Energy

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  Improving the environmental health and resilience of North Carolina communities is part of advancing the company’s clean energy transition

CHARLOTTE, NC – This Earth Day, the Duke Energy Foundation awarded $500,000 in grants to local North Carolina nonprofits focused on environmental justice and climate resilience.

“North Carolina is leading the energy transition, with local communities experiencing unprecedented growth and opportunity,” said Kendal Bowman, president of Duke Energy in North Carolina. “We remain committed to investing in our resilient state and working with nonprofits to strengthen our communities, economy, environment and natural resources.”

Eighteen organizations receive subsidies. While some focus on keeping North Carolina’s ecosystems healthy – including the 51,165 acres of Duke Energy-protected habitat for plants and wildlife near lakes and rivers – others are committed to preparing vulnerable communities for the impacts of climate change.

“Communities across North Carolina have seen firsthand the lasting impacts of storms and excessive rainfall,” said Cynthia Satterfield, Conservation Trust Executive Director for North Carolina. “We are grateful that Duke Energy recognizes the importance of building resilient communities equipped to mitigate and manage climate change. flood risks and that they help fund this critical mission.”

Duke Energy employees and retirees are also volunteering their time and efforts throughout the month of April to support environmental programs in their local communities. The North Carolina Wildlife Federation, a long-standing philanthropic partner of Duke Energy, sees this as an important avenue for environmental progress.

“Earth Day is an important reminder that we can all play a role in mitigating the impacts of climate change,” said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of the NC Wildlife Federation. “Especially in urban, marginalized NC communities – where the heat island effect is exacerbated and negatively impacts both people and wildlife – something as simple as planting a tree or picking up trash can go a long way in helping restore the habitat of wild animals.”

Hertog Energie Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million in philanthropic support annually to meet the needs of the communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders. More information about the Foundation can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, NC, 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. The natural gas unit serves 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 top of mind as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas operations by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major grid improvements and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and advanced nuclear power.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy TweetLinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit lighting for stories about the people and innovations driving our energy transition.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The electric utilities serve 7.9 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000 megawatts of energy capacity. The natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,500 people.

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