“Additional resources and weather improvements are enhancing our restoration progress,” said E. O. Ferrell, senior vice president of electric distribution for Duke Power. “With the majority of vital services restored, many of our crews are working on repairs to larger, feeder lines needed to make full restoration efforts. While some of this work may not be visible to the public, it is difficult, time consuming and a required part of our restoration process.

“Our numbers are fluctuating as we battle new outages occurring from ice and tree damage in addition to some shorter interruptions needed for restoration efforts. We continue to urge customers to be patient and to use extreme caution around fallen power lines,” continued Ferrell.

More than 10,000 Duke Power employees, contractors and neighboring crews are dedicated to the restoration efforts. The company projects that 90 percent of the system-wide outages will be restored by Wednesday evening, Dec. 11. 

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 neighbor’s power is restored.

Major areas affected as of 11 a.m.: 

SATURDAY, DEC. 7, WE WILL PROVIDE UPDATES ON OUR MEDIA OUTAGE UPDATE LINE AT 704/382-8333 ON THE FOLLOWING SCHEDULE:

6:30 a.m.

11 a.m.

4:30 p.m.

9:30 p.m.

PLEASE PRESS OPTION 1. THIS OPTION WILL ALSO ALLOW YOU TO REACH A REPRESENTATIVE FOR INTERVIEW.

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.