Duke Energy

Sector: Corporate

Employees:

>19,000 people.

Carbon Footprint:

108 Million tonnes CO₂e.

TARGETS

> Avoiding/offsetting 10 million tons of CO₂e by 2015. 

Achievements

> Investment of $3 million annually to help fund greenhouse gas reducing projects.

Benefits

Low Carbon Solutions

Background

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC., Duke Energy Corp., one of the largest electric power companies in the United States, supplies and delivers energy to approximately 3.9 million US customers. The company has nearly 37,000 MW of electric generating capacity in the Midwest and the Carolinas, and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. In addition, Duke Energy has more than 4,000 MW of electric generation in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a US real estate company.  Duke’s current CO₂ emissions from generation operations are about 107 million tonnes annually.

Duke Energy thinks of energy efficiency as the “fifth fuel,” joining coal, natural gas, nuclear and renewables as a critical resource needed to serve the growing energy needs of the communities it serves. Duke Energy is committed to working with its state regulators in developing energy efficiency programmes that both save its customers money and improve the environment. They have committed to retiring one MW of older, less efficient coal-fired generation for each MW it saves as a result of the energy efficiency programmes it offers.

Duke recently filed a tariff request in North Carolina asking regulators to approve its “Save-A-Watt” energy efficiency programme and plans on filing similar tariff requests in the other four states in which it does business. Save-A-Watt will cost customers approximately 10% less than cost of building and operating new power plants. The company is leading the national effort, joining in a collaborative with the US Department of Energy (US DOE), US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), state regulators and other utilities to produce the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, which is co-chaired by Duke Energy’s CEO and President Jim Rogers.

Duke Energy reports its greenhouse gas emissions through the US DOE’s voluntary 1605b reporting process.  In addition, it recently joined US EPA’s Climate Partners and will be reporting its emissions through that programme as well. Duke also participates in the Carbon Disclosure Project.

Duke Energy participates in numerous forums for information exchange, research and dialogue on topics related to global climate change including The Alliance to Save Energy, Edison Electric Institute, Electric Power Research Institute, Global Environmental Management Initiative, US EPA’s Climate Leaders, Pew Center on Global Climate Change and Resources for the Future.

Duke Energy is also a member of the United States Climate Action Partnership, a group of corporations and environmental NGOs that has called for economy-wide legislation to control US greenhouse gas emissions.

Duke Energy sees that low- or zero-emission technologies will play an increasingly larger role in meeting future energy demand in the US. It is therefore active in bringing more renewable energy to the market. The company also provides opportunities for customers in several states to support renewable energy development, including the recently approved GoGreen tariff in Ohio. Similar company tariffs, , which allow customers the opportunity to purchase renewables for a portion of their energy needs are available in Indiana and North Carolina.  Duke Energy Carolinas has recently issued a “Request for Proposals” seeking bids for power generated from renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, water and organic matter amongst others.  And, in Indiana, Duke has contracted to purchase power from a 100MW wind farm that is being developed.