Environmental Indicators

Management Approach We constantly look for ways to improve and grow our company while reducing our impact on the environment.
INDICATOR TOPIC RESPONSE
Materials
EN1 Weight or volume of materials Most high volume materials are purchased by length, reel, pole, transformer, case, truckload or other measure with no consistent relationship to weight or volume.  See EN3 for fuel quantities.
EN2 Materials used that are recycled content It is not possible to precisely determine how much of the material we use to provide electric and natural gas service comes from recycled sources.  A portion of steel, aluminum, other metals and plastics may come from recycled sources, and we actively pursue recycling of these materials when their useful life has been reached. Nearly all fuel used is virgin material, because sufficient volumes of recycled fuels are not available.
Energy
EN3 Direct fossil fuel consumption for electric generation 2010: Coal = 39.6 million tons; Oil = 18.0 million gallons; Natural Gas = 64.6 million decatherms.  See EN 29 for vehicle fuel consumption.
EN4 Indirect energy consumption We do not centrally track these data.  Indirect energy consumption is very small relative to direct energy consumption from fuels to generate electricity.
EN5 Energy saved due to conservation and energy efficiency efforts

In our Sustainability Plan we have a goal to help our customers reduce energy consumption by 2,500 gigawatt-hours (GWh) and peak demand by 2,100 megawatts (MW) by 2013. As of year-end 2010, energy consumption was reduced by 1,270 GWh, and peak demand was reduced by 798 MW. 

We also have a goal to reduce electricity consumption at 13 of our largest commercial buildings 10 percent by 2012 compared to the 2005 through 2007 average. We are on track to meet this goal. See U.S. Electricity Consumed in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.

EN6 Providing energy efficiency products and services

Energy efficiency programs vary by state and we provide information for each state on our Web site.

For a recent example of an important new program see A Greener Uptown Charlotte in our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
.

EN7 Reducing indirect energy consumption Teleconferences, videoconferences, online meetings and other travel-reducing measures are widely used.   Duke Energy also subsidizes bus passes to encourage use of mass transit in our main office cities.  We currently do not have a reliable way to quantify energy saved through these programs.
Water
 Commentary on Water Management See Water: A limited Resource in our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report for a discussion of our collaborative approach to water and watershed management.
EN8 Water withdrawal See Water Withdrawn and Consumed in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
EN9 Water sources and habitats affected by withdrawals Water for various aspects of electric generation is drawn from underground and surface sources.  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 We do not record the volume of water recycled through our closed-loop cooling systems.
Biodiversity
EN11 Land in and adjacent to protected areas and areas of high biological diversity value We help protect the biological diversity of lands we own or manage. Specific permits and licenses regulate our operations in some of these areas. See several examples.  
EN12 Impacts on high biodiversity value areas, including transmission line corridors Environmental analyses performed during planning stages of new facilities are used to 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 We manage and protect various habitats surrounding our facilities and along our rights-of-way.
EN14 Programs to manage biodiversity Duke Energy is a strong partner with wildlife and biodiversity management organizations. We also provide examples of how we are Restoring Forests in Brazil and supporting Climate Change Adaptation Research in our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
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 these species.
Emissions, Effluents, and Waste
EN16 Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions We released 99.9 million tons of CO2 in 2010.  For more details see Emissions from Generation in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report. See also our response to the Carbon Disclosure Project.
EN17 Other relevant indirect GHG emissions We do not track or report our indirect emissions.  They are a very small percentage relative to our direct emissions.
EN18 Initiatives to reduce GHG emissions, and reductions achieved See Letter from the Chairman in our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report. See also Global Climate Change.
EN19 Ozone depleting emissions, by weight We do not centrally track these data.  Each facility is responsible for its own compliance with recordkeeping requirements.
EN20 NOx, SO2, & other significant air emissions by type and weight 2010 U.S. generation operations emitted 71,800 tons of NOx, 221,200 tons of SO2, and 39,595 thousand pounds of Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) releases. For more detail see  Emissions from Generation in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
EN21 Total water discharges Given our combinations of once-through cooling systems, recirculating systems and other water discharges, we do not record a total quantity.
EN22 Total weight of waste by type and disposal method See  table entitled Waste in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
EN23 Total number and volume of significant spills See  table entitled Reportable Oil Spills in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
EN24 Transported hazardous waste See  table entitled Waste in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
EN25 Water discharge impacts Discharges are to rivers and lakes by regulatory permits.  Those permits and our operating practices are designed to protect the environment and aquatic species.
Products and Services
EN26 Environmental impact mitigation We offer a number of programs to help customers be more energy efficient and we also protect sensitive habitats on our property.
EN27 Percentage of product that is recycled Electric and natural gas cannot be recycled in the usual sense.  We recycled more than 24,000 tons of solid wastes resulting from our operations in 2010. See table entitled Waste in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
Compliance
EN28 Incidents and fines for environmental non-compliance See  table entitled Environmental Regulatory Citations in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
Transport
EN29 Transportation impacts for logistical purposes In 2010 our U.S. on-road and off-road vehicle fleet consumed about 7.1 million gallons of fuels. See table entitled U.S. On-road and Off-road Vehicle Fleet Emissions and Fuel Consumed in the Environmental Performance Metrics section of our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report.
Overall
EN30 Environmental protection expenditures We do not centrally track this broad range of expenditures. However we have spent approximately $5 billion over the last decade to significantly reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions from our existing coal fleet, improving air quality.  We have also invested over $1 billion in our wind power business since its launch in 2007. And we are making substantial investments in smart grid and cleaner power plant technologies. See our 2010/2011 Sustainability Report for more information.