“Although we are making progress in restoring electricity to our customers, icy conditions and cold temperatures continued to cause additional outages throughout the day,” said E. O. Ferrell, senior vice president of electric distribution for Duke Power.  “Consequently, we still have the challenge of more than one million customers without power.

“We have nearly 8000 employees, contractors and neighboring utility crews working to restore power. Up to 2,000 additional utility workers from Michigan to Florida will arrive shortly to help; warmer temperatures will also help us make progress,” said Ferrell. “However, based on the extent of the damage and impact across our entire service territory, we believe it will take several days before all of our customers have power again.”

Ferrell pointed out that with temperatures dropping below freezing tonight there is the possibility of additional outages. “With these conditions, customers may choose to use alternative heat sources. We encourage them to follow all safety precautions and manufacturers’ instructions.”

Ferrell also pointed out that in addition to massive restoration efforts the company is making, The Duke Energy Foundation today contributed $50,000 to the American Red Cross for winter storm relief efforts in the Duke Power electric service territory.

Power outages and downed power lines should be reported using the 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766) telephone line. If a customer has reported an outage, it isn’t necessary to call again unless the customer’s power remains off when a neighbors’ power is restored.

Major areas affected as of 9:30 p.m. are:

WE WILL BE PROVIDING UPDATES ON OUR MEDIA OUTAGE UPDATE LINE AT 704-382-8333 ON THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:

6 a.m.

11 a.m.

4:30 p.m.

9:30 p.m.

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities and provides safe, reliable, competitively priced electricity to approximately two million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. Duke Power operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units. Total system generating capability is approximately 19,300 megawatts. More information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: www.dukepower.com.

Duke Energy is a diversified multinational energy company with an integrated network of energy assets and expertise. The company manages a dynamic portfolio of natural gas and electric supply, delivery and trading businesses – meeting the energy needs of customers throughout North America and in key markets around the world. Duke Energy, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.

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