ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.,
Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Florida communities are always
looking for a competitive edge to lure large business and industry
to their areas, creating more jobs and economic development
activity. For Gulf, Lake,
Polk and Sumter counties, that edge may well come from
Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program.
Duke Energy selected four Florida properties for participation during
the second half of its 2017 Site Readiness Program to prepare them
for business and industrial development. The sites were selected
based on their potential to bring large businesses and industries
to their respective areas.
The locations include:
- A 115-acre site located in Port St.
Joe along the eastern edge of the Florida panhandle. (Gulf County)
- A 265-acre development – Summer
Lake-Grace – located at the Wolf Branch Innovation District.
(Lake County)
- A 110-acre property located in central Florida and nestled in the Haines City industrial park. (Polk County)
- A 218-acre site strategically located one-and-a-half miles from
Interstate 75 in central Florida.
(Sumter County)
Two properties were selected earlier this year, for a total of
six Florida properties
participating in the 2017 Site Readiness Program. The properties
selected earlier are Tavistock's International Corporate Park
Sunbridge site, a 119-acre site in Orange
County, and Crescent Communities' New Century Town Center
site in Seminole County, which
features approximately 100 available acres for development.
"As we work to build a smarter and more reliable energy future
for our state, economic development is integral to creating
stronger, more competitive communities and, ultimately, a stronger
Florida," said Harry Sideris, Duke Energy Florida state
president. "Helping our communities develop ready sites will
attract business growth and bring increased job opportunities and
economic prosperity to entire regions."
Duke Energy Florida's economic development efforts have helped
attract more than 265 companies to Florida since 2001, resulting in more than
40,000 new jobs and $3.4 billion in
capital investment.
Through the Site Readiness Program, Duke Energy identifies
high-quality industrial sites and partners with county officials
and local economic development professionals to develop a strategy
for providing water, sewer, natural gas and electricity to the
properties. Ideal properties for Duke Energy's Site Readiness
Program are typically 75 acres or larger and served by the utility.
Occasionally, a large vacant industrial building may be evaluated
to support renewed industrial growth and sustainable development in
a community.
Site selection consulting firm McCallum Sweeney Consulting
evaluates each of the sites identified. In addition, Heidt Design,
a Tampa, Fla.-based engineering firm, conducts buildable area
studies and generates conceptual drawings to support each site
evaluation. Based on consultant recommendations, Duke Energy will
collaborate with county leaders and local economic development
professionals to develop an improved strategy for marketing these
sites. After each site's state of readiness has advanced, Duke
Energy's Business Development team strategically markets these
sites nationwide to companies looking to expand or relocate their
operations.
Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program was recognized by
Southern Business & Development magazine as one of the
"South's Top 10 Site Programs" and was noted as one of the main
reasons Duke Energy was named as one of the nation's "Top 10
Utility Economic Development Programs" by Site Selection
Magazine for the past several years. For more information about
Duke Energy's economic development programs along with available
sites and buildings the in Duke Energy Florida service territory,
visit duke-energy.com/FloridaSites.
About Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida owns and
operates a diverse generation mix, including renewables, providing
about 8,800 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately
1.8 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area.
With its Florida regional
headquarters located in St. Petersburg,
Fla., Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power
holding companies in the United
States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business
unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in six
states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas Utilities
and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to
approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business
unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across
the United States.
Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 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 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.
Contact: Ann Marie Varga
Cell: 407.399.3255
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AnnMarieV
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SOURCE Duke Energy