More than 10,000 customers restored as Duke Energy continues progress in Moore County

Rhea-AI Summary

Duke Energy has restored power to approximately 10,000 customers in Moore County after an attack on two substations. The company aims to restore nearly all power by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, with 35,000 customers still affected down from an initial 45,000. Crews are working in 24-hour shifts to repair vital equipment damaged during the incident. Additionally, the Duke Energy Foundation is donating $100,000 to local organizations to support community recovery efforts.

Positive

• Restoration of power to around 10,000 customers.
• Plans to restore nearly all customers by Wednesday night.
• Community support through a $100,000 donation to local organizations.

Negative

• 35,000 customers remain without power.
• Initial attack left 45,000 customers affected.

• Company to restore most customers by late Wednesday night
• Duke Energy Foundation makes $100,000 donation to local organizations

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With around 10,000 customers restored so far, Duke Energy anticipates having nearly all customers restored by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday in the aftermath of an attack on two major substations Saturday in Moore County.

Crews are working 24-hour shifts to make repairs and restore service to all impacted customers. Several large and vital pieces of equipment were damaged in the event and need to be repaired or replaced.

"Repairing and replacing this equipment is a methodical process that takes several days," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's general manager, Emergency Preparedness. "Once repairs are made, we must test the equipment before beginning the final restoration process. We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding our customers have shown."

Today, approximately 35,000 customers in the area remain without power – down from 45,000, who were initially affected when two substations in the county were attacked and vandalized. The company continues to work with local, state and federal agencies on the investigation.

Donation to Local Community

The Duke Energy Foundation has made an initial commitment of $100,000 to support the needs of the local community due to the incident.

"After meeting with local officials to get their input, we moved quickly to provide this initial $100,000 to support the needs of the community in a targeted, strategic fashion," said Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy's incoming state president for North Carolina. "We are committed to not only restoring power as quickly as possible, but helping Moore County bounce back economically as well."

The Red Cross, Sandhills-Moore Coalition for Human Care, Boys and Girls Club of Sandhills-Moore, United Way of Moore County and Northern Moore Family Resource Center will each receive $20,000.

"When power outage emergencies strike, our partner Duke Energy continues to support the community," said Phil Harris, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Sandhills Chapter. "Their support provides resources to help us meet emerging needs."

Duke Energy will continue to work with organizations like the Red Cross and Moore County Emergency Management to identify ways to help the residents of Moore County. 

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. 

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Duke Energy

FAQ

What incident affected Duke Energy customers in December 2022?

In December 2022, an attack on two substations in Moore County affected approximately 45,000 customers.

How many customers has Duke Energy restored power to after the recent outage?

Duke Energy has restored power to about 10,000 customers as of the latest update.

When does Duke Energy expect to restore power to all customers?

Duke Energy anticipates restoring nearly all customers by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.

What support is Duke Energy providing to the local community?

Duke Energy Foundation has committed $100,000 in donations to local organizations to aid recovery efforts.