The facilities, located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, convert municipal solid waste into energy and have a gross capacity of 380 megawatts. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions including Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other regulatory approvals and is expected to close mid-year. 

"The divestiture of our interest in American Ref-Fuel is consistent with our strategy at DENA to focus on our natural gas-fired merchant generation fleet," said Richard B. Priory, chairman and chief executive officer.   

Duke Energy North America is Duke Energy’s North American merchant energy business.  Duke Energy North America’s generation portfolio currently includes approximately 14,200 megawatts in operation.

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 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.

This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although Duke Energy believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its goals will be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements herein include legislative and regulatory developments; the outcomes of litigation and regulatory proceedings or inquiries; the effectiveness of the company's risk management and internal controls systems; the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices for oil, gas, coal, electricity and interest rates; the extent of success in connecting natural gas supplies to gathering and processing systems and in connecting and expanding gas and electric markets; the performance of electric generation, pipeline and gas processing facilities; the timing and success of efforts to develop domestic and international power, pipeline, gathering, processing and other infrastructure projects; conditions of the capital markets and equity markets during the periods covered by the forward-looking statements; and other factors discussed in Duke Energy's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.