Delivering reliable energy to almost 2 million Florida homes and businesses is a huge undertaking. But it’s just the beginning of Duke Energy’s commitment to the state. The company is continuously working to strengthen local communities and promote long-term economic growth through its employment opportunities, business growth initiatives and energy-saving programs for businesses.
In addition, the Duke Energy Foundation has a strong history of high-impact grants targeted to meeting the state’s economic needs.
“In 2016, the company provided $3 million of Foundation grant funding to Florida nonprofits and $58 million since 2000 to power up local communities with a focus on the environment, economic and workforce development, education and community impact,” says Duke Energy State President Harry Sideris. “In fact, our economic development grants in the state totaled more than $240,000 in 2016 alone.”
Workforce Development and Employment Opportunities
The company employs more than 3,800 Floridians who work for the company in a variety of positions — linemen, plant operators, customer service specialists and engineers. The company has a vested interest in developing these skilled workers, and attracting a talented workforce is crucial to its continued success. But that’s only the start. These efforts, along with Duke Energy Foundation grants, have a ripple effect throughout the community, helping to increase the pipeline of engineers, linemen and other skilled workers for growing businesses throughout the region.
In addition, with an annual local spending budget of $300 million to $400 million, the company creates additional jobs throughout its network of suppliers, thereby promoting other industries and economic opportunities across the state.
Business Growth
The state of Florida actively works to support and recruit businesses through favorable tax policies, streamlined regulations and competitive costs. Duke Energy’s economic development team helps to spread the word about this business-friendly environment and works with companies interested in either expanding or relocating to Florida.
Duke Energy gets involved in the early stages of the company’s site selection to be sure it can provide the right energy infrastructure and meet the business’s capacity and time frame.
The company’s Site Readiness Program partners with economic development organizations, real estate groups and counties and cities to identify new industrial sites for commercial and industrial growth. The team develops a strategy to provide water, sewer, natural gas and electricity to the parcels more quickly in order to reduce the time for the new business to be up and running. The site is then marketed to businesses and site selectors nationwide.
“Since 2001, Duke Energy has helped attract more than 256 companies to Florida, bringing more than 38,700 jobs and more than $3.3 billion in capital investment to the state,” says Marc Hoenstine, Florida Director of Economic Development. “These successes are why we’ve been recognized as one of the top utilities for economic
development by Site Selection magazine.”
Electric Rates and Options
Duke Energy has competitive energy rates for its business customers and offers rates below the national average.
“In fact, Duke Energy’s rates are lower today than they were seven years ago,” says Sideris.
As such, Duke Energy recognizes the complex nature of project location decisions and values the economic impact that these projects have within the community. Duke Energy has a program that provides flexible and competitive electrical rates (tariff) for qualified economic development projects. The Economic Development (ED) Rider and Economic Re-Development
Rider provide a discount on a customer’s electricity rate for up to five years, yielding a significant savings.
Additionally, the company offers several rates specific for business and industry. It has various service schedules that can be tailored to match a company’s energy profile, including time-of-use choices. A rate estimate can be provided to include the ED Rider as well as other rate options for comparison.
Energy Savings Programs and Products for Business
By creating energy savings programs for its business customers, Duke Energy helps attract businesses to Florida and helps them expand here. The company has dedicated energy advisors to conduct energy assessments that help businesses determine what energy-saving measures and rebates may work for them. Advisors even help businesses navigate through the paperwork.
Duke Energy also has business programs to help with comprehensive engineering capabilities, turnkey construction and installation services, and on- and off-site maintenance solutions to keep business equipment running in top condition. Metering services can help businesses manage their costs, and businesses can also choose from customized usage and transformer solutions. From design and installation through day-to-day operations, Duke Energy can take care of backup generation needs and provide reliable power for industries of all types.
For more information about Duke Energy’s economic development programs, visit duke-energy.com/economic.
| Energy Efficiency for Business Program
Duke Energy provides incentives for existing and new construction, specifically designed to improve energy efficiency for Florida businesses. Energy advisors will visit your business to offer a free assessment with recommendations for energy-saving measures that will best benefit you. Implementing these recommendations can earn incentives that offset project upgrade costs, make your business more energy efficient and save you energy and money for years to come. |
Construction Incentives include: » Chiller Tune-up (retrofit)
|
| Contact your Duke Energy advisor for details at 877.372.8477 or email fl.bec@duke-energy.com or visit duke-energy.com/FLbusiness. | |