Environmental Indicators
| Management Approach | Environmental Information | |
|
Indicator |
Topic |
Response |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | ||
| EN1 | Weight or volume of materials | Coal = 46.5 million tons. Lime, limestone and kiln dust primarily for pollution control = 861,806 tons. Most other high volume materials are purchased by length, reel, pole, transformer, case, truckload or other measure with no consistent relationship to weight or volume. |
| EN2 | Materials used that are recycled content | We do not track the proportion of recycled material we use to provide electric and natural gas service. A portion of steel, aluminum and other metals, plastics and paper may come from recycled sources but the proportion relative to virgin material (e.g., coal, limestone or wood poles) is small. |
| Energy | ||
| EN3 | Direct fossil fuel consumption (in heat content) | Coal = 1.0x1015 BTUs; Natural Gas = 55.0x1012 BTUs; Oil = 28x1012 BTUs, Diesel = 1.0x1012 BTUs. See EN 29 for vehicular fuel consumption. |
| EN4 | Indirect energy consumption | As the primary energy supplier in our service areas, our indirect energy consumption is negligible. |
| EN5 | Energy saved due to conservation and energy efficiency efforts | 12.8 gigawatt-hours in 2006 were saved in Kentucky alone. Other areas were not tracked in 2006. |
| EN6 | Providing energy efficiency products and services | See www.duke-energy.com for programs available in each state. |
| EN7 | Reducing indirect energy consumption | Teleconferences, videoconferences, online meetings and other travel-reducing measures are widely used but savings are not quantified. Duke Energy also subsidizes bus passes to encourage use of mass transit in main office cities. |
| Water | ||
| EN8 | Water withdrawal | Approximately 4.1 billion gallons withdrawn per year, with more than 90% returned to the source. |
| EN9 | Water sources & habitats affected by withdrawals | Water for various aspects of electric generation is drawn from underground and surface sources as well as municipal supplies, depending on the particular generating station. Large volume withdrawals are regulated by state or federal permit conditions that are designed to prevent adverse impacts on aquatic species and communities. |
| EN10 | Water recycled or reused | The volume is not recorded. Billions of gallons are cycled through power plants and returned to surface streams or evaporated through cooling towers. |
| Biodiversity | ||
| EN11 | Land adjacent to protected areas | We own or manage land adjacent to a number of sensitive biological areas. Specific permits and licenses regulate our operations in such areas. Read about Stewardship at Duke Energy. |
| EN12 | Impacts on high biodiversity value areas | Environmental analyses performed during planning stages of new facilities identify potential areas of high biodiversity value. If such areas are found, permit conditions are designed to prevent or minimize impacts. |
| EN13 | Habitats protected or restored | Read about Stewardship at Duke Energy. |
| EN14 | Programs to manage biodiversity | Duke Energy is a strong partner with many wildlife and biodiversity management organizations. Read about Stewardship at Duke Energy. |
| EN15 | Special species habitats | At times, species of special concern to state and/or federal agencies are found on company land. We work closely with agency personnel to protect the species. |
| Emissions, Effluents, and Waste | ||
| EN16 | GHG emissions | CO2 equivalents = 116.6 Million tons in 2005, also read the Duke Energy Response to the Carbon Disclosure Project |
| EN17 | Other relevant indirect GHG emissions | Not significant relative to direct emissions. |
| EN18 | Initiatives ro reduce GHG emissions, and reductions achieved | Duke Energy’s views and actions on Global Climate Change. |
| EN19 | Ozone depleting emissions | Ozone depleting chemicals are managed on a unit-by-unit basis in accordance with federal regulations. Compliance is included in our environmental health and safety audit program. |
| EN20 | NOx, SO2, & other significant air emissions by type and weight | NOx = 148,600 tons SO2 = 812,600 tons Chemicals released to air under the Toxics Release Inventory = 80.2 M tons in 2005. See also Environmental Health & Safety Metrics |
| EN21 | Total water discharges | Discharge volumes are not tracked across all facilities. Large volume discharges are regulated by various permit conditions for temperature, turbidity, pH and chemical content. |
| EN22 | Total weight of waste by type and disposal method | Coal combustion byproducts produced = 4.86 M tons, of that approximately 60 percent (2.87 M tons) was beneficially reused. Total weight of office and other waste is not recorded. |
| EN23 | Total number and volume of significant spills | 75 spills for a total of 3,251 gallons, primarily to land, in 2006 |
| EN24 | Transported haz waste | None of our facilities are routinely classified by the EPA as Large Quantity Generators of hazardous waste. Most, even large power plants, are Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators, which means they produce less than 100 kilograms (approximately 220 pounds) of hazardous waste per month. Waste is shipped to EPA-permitted treatment or disposal facilities. |
| EN25 | Water discharge impacts | Discharges are to rivers and lakes by regulatory permits. No adverse impacts are known. |
| Products and Services | ||
| EN26 | Environmental impact management | See response to EN6. |
| EN27 | Percentage of product that is recycled | None |
| Compliance | ||
| EN28 | Incidents and fines for environmental non-compliance | Total of 13 citations resulting in fines of $12,713 in 2006. |
| Transport | ||
| EN29 | Transportation impacts for logistical purposes | Gasoline = 3.70 million gallons; Diesel = 2.84 million gallons; E 85 = 8,169 gallons |
| Overall | ||
| EN30 | Environmental protection expenditures | There is no centralized accounting for such a broad range of expenditures. |
