“We are pleased to submit proposals to the commission for consideration that supports the development of   NC GreenPower Program, the first statewide program of its kind in the United States that supports the development of renewable energy sources,” said Steve Young, Duke Power vice president of rates and regulatory affairs.  “The NC GreenPower Program is the culmination of a collaborative effort and a lot of hard work involving the state’s electric utilities, state officials and a variety of environmental and renewable resource advocacy groups and providers.” 

Funds collected under this program will be transferred and administered by the non-profit N.C. Advanced Energy Corporation (NCAEC), which is overseen by the N.C. Utilities Commission.  These funds will be used to provide payments to power generators selected by NCAEC to participate in its NC GreenPower Program.  Duke Power customers may opt to purchase one or more 100 kilowatt-hour-blocks each month to support the program.  The average home in North Carolina uses about 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month. 

The effort to encourage the development of electricity generated by renewable sources began with an April 2000 recommendation from the Study Commission on the Future of Electric Service in North Carolina, which asked the N.C. Utilities Commission to look into developing a voluntary green power program for consumers.  Once approved, the program is expected to be offered to all Duke Power and Nantahala Power customers in North Carolina within six months.  This six-month period will be used to develop appropriate billing infrastructure and customer education materials.  Similar tariffs are being proposed to the N.C. Utilities Commission by other electric utilities in the state. 

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 100 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.