CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A portion of
the earthen cooling pond wall at the H.F. Lee Plant in Goldsboro, N.C., experienced a break in the
early afternoon today following historic flooding this week from
Hurricane Matthew.
The break, approximately 50 to 60 feet wide, is in the southeast
corner of the cooling pond. The pond is about 545 acres and does
not contain coal ash. The cooling pond is a man-made reservoir that
was constructed to supply cooling water to power plants at the
site. The active ash basin is not affected by this incident and
continues to operate safely.
Based on the current flooded state of the Neuse River, this
event is expected to have minimal impact, contributing less than an
inch of water to the river. The hurricane brought 15 inches of rain
to the area. A photo and aerial diagram are available.
The company is working closely with local emergency management
and other officials.
"We are giving this our fullest attention," said Regis Repko, senior vice president of
Fossil-Hydro Operations. "We are assessing what resources we need
and will position repair materials so we can respond quickly once
conditions are safe to do so."
The 920-megawatt natural gas combined cycle plant also continues
to operate safely, and the company will evaluate continued plant
operations. The energy complex also is home to five natural gas
combustion turbines that can provide customers 863 megawatts. The
382-megawatt coal plant was retired in 2012.
As reported previously, flooding has caused the river to flow
across three forested, inactive ash basins at the H.F. Lee site.
Those basins normally are dry and do not impound water, and they do
not pose a risk for a significant release of material.
About Duke Energy
Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies in
the United States, supplies and
delivers electricity to approximately 7.4 million customers in the
Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately
24 million people. The company also distributes natural gas to more
than 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its commercial and international
businesses operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing renewable
energy portfolio.
Headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company
traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More
information about the company is available at
duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for
journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and
videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and
community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into
the past and insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Media Line (24-hour): 800.559.3853
Logo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130322/CL81938LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cooling-pond-at-duke-energys-hf-lee-plant-breaks-minimal-river-impact-expected-300343941.html
SOURCE Duke Energy