Power restored to 1.35 million customers in Carolinas; workers continue efforts to access damage and repair and rebuild grid in S.C. Upstate and N.C. mountains
Rhea-AI Summary
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) has restored power to 1.35 million customers in the Carolinas following Hurricane Helene. As of 4 p.m., about 443,000 customers in South Carolina's Upstate and 346,000 customers in North Carolina's mountain region remain without power. The company expects to restore the majority of the remaining 790,000 customer outages by Friday night.
Duke Energy workers are navigating unprecedented destruction and challenging conditions in the affected areas. They are removing trees, broken poles, and downed power lines, logging damaged electrical equipment, and beginning to repair and rebuild major portions of the power grid. The company's lakes along the Catawba-Wateree River Basin have reached their highest point and are expected to slowly decline over the next several days.
Positive
- Power restored to 1.35 million customers in the Carolinas
- Majority of remaining 790,000 customer outages expected to be restored by Friday night
- Real-time lake level information available for customers
Negative
- 789,000 customers still without power in South Carolina Upstate and North Carolina mountains
- Unprecedented destruction and challenging conditions in affected areas
- Major portions of the power grid wiped away, requiring extensive repairs and rebuilding
Insights
The impact of Hurricane Helene on Duke Energy's infrastructure is significant. The restoration of power to 1.35 million customers is a major achievement, but the remaining 790,000 outages in hard-hit areas present a substantial challenge. The company's expectation to restore the majority of these by Friday night is ambitious given the scale of destruction.
The damage to the power grid in the Upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina regions appears extensive, with reports of "major portions of the power grid that were simply wiped away." This suggests a need for substantial capital investment in rebuilding infrastructure, which could impact Duke Energy's financial performance in the short term.
However, the company's proactive approach to the clean energy transition and grid upgrades may position it well for long-term resilience. The ongoing investments in grid modernization and cleaner generation sources could help mitigate future storm impacts and align with regulatory expectations, potentially benefiting shareholders in the long run.
Duke Energy's response to Hurricane Helene demonstrates strong operational capabilities in crisis management. The restoration of power to 1.35 million customers in a relatively short time frame is commendable and reflects well on the company's emergency preparedness.
The coordination with state and local government workers for debris clearance and road reopening is important for efficient power restoration. This collaboration could enhance Duke Energy's reputation and strengthen its relationships with local authorities, which is valuable for a utility company.
The transparency in communication, including real-time lake level information and outage maps, is a positive aspect that can improve customer satisfaction. However, the extended outages for 790,000 customers until at least Friday night may lead to some customer dissatisfaction and potential regulatory scrutiny.
Overall, while the immediate impact is challenging, Duke Energy's handling of this crisis could reinforce its position as a reliable utility provider, potentially supporting its long-term market position and investor confidence.
"We're beyond grateful to the state and local government workers who have been on the job 24/7 to clear debris, reopen roadways and help those whose lives have been changed forever by this storm," said Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's storm director in the Carolinas. "Our thousands of lineworkers and other storm workers are gaining better access to the destruction – allowing them to remove trees, broken poles and downed power lines, log each piece of damaged electrical equipment and begin repairing and rebuilding major portions of the power grid that were simply wiped away."
Here's an update as of 4 p.m.:
- In
South Carolina :- Duke Energy restored nearly 442,000 customer outages; about 443,000 customers in the Upstate remain without power.
- In
North Carolina :- Duke Energy restored more than 910,000 customer outages; about 346,000 customers in the mountain region remain without power.
- Overall, Duke Energy restored 1.35 million customer outages in the Carolinas following Helene.
- As of Sunday, service was restored to nearly all customers who are outside of the South Carolina Upstate and
North Carolina mountains and were capable of receiving power.
- As of Sunday, service was restored to nearly all customers who are outside of the South Carolina Upstate and
- Duke Energy expects to restore the majority of the remaining 790,000 customer outages by Friday night.
- Power restoration may take longer in areas that continue to be inaccessible, dependent on infrastructure that has been destroyed or are unable to receive service.
- Lake levels declining:
- Duke Energy's lakes along the Catawba-Wateree River Basin have reached their highest point and are expected to slowly decline over the next several days.
- Real-time lake level information is available at duke-energy.com/lakes or by calling 800.829.LAKE (5253).
- Links and resources:
- Outage Map: duke-energy.com/outages
- Outage Alerts: duke-energy.com/outages/alerts
- Generator safety: duke-energy.com/outages/generators.
- Power restoration process: duke-energy.com/outages/restoring-your-power
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Editor's note: Video is available of Jason Hollifield, Duke Energy's storm director in the Carolinas, offering an update on the company's response to Helene.
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SOURCE Duke Energy
FAQ
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