- April is National Safe Digging Month, recognizing the
importance of calling 811 before digging to have utility lines
marked.
- Underground electric and natural gas lines were hit over 10,300
times in 2023.
- Video here: Learn more about how the 811 process works.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 1,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of National Safe
Digging Month, Piedmont Natural Gas and Duke Energy are reminding
customers and professional excavators to call 811 before digging to
protect the nation's underground utility infrastructure.
"Every April, many homeowners and construction crews begin
projects that involve digging, and with that, we see an increase in
emergency calls for cut utility lines," said Brian Weisker, senior vice president and
president of Duke Energy's natural gas business. "In addition to
potential danger and expense of damaged utilities, many incidents
lead to road closures and evacuations, and they can tie up police,
fire and other emergency resources."
Call 811 and know what's below
The national 811
"Call Before You Dig" system was created so anyone who plans to dig
can make a free call to have underground utility lines clearly
marked. Contractors, homeowners, business owners and anyone
preparing for an excavation project should call 811 at least three
business days before digging begins. The local utilities will send
a crew to mark underground lines in the area (electric, natural
gas, water, sewer, phone, cable TV and others) with stakes, flags
or paint.
Digging deeper
In 2023, Piedmont and Duke Energy reported more than
10,300 cuts to underground lines (natural gas and electric) in
their service territories. Specifically, Piedmont and Duke Energy reported over 3,500
damages to their underground natural gas facilities in the
Carolinas, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky, while Duke Energy reported more than
6,800 damages to its underground electric network in all its
service territories.
"Keeping our customers safe is at the heart of what we do," said
Weisker. "Planning ahead and calling 811 is the best way to dig
safe and prevent potentially dangerous damage to our underground
utilities."
For additional information about 811, visit Call 811 Before
You Dig. To get in touch with the 811 center in your state, dial
811 or visit call811.com.
For additional information, see our story on
illumination.
Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, distributes
natural gas to more than 1.1 million residential, commercial,
industrial and power generation customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Piedmont Natural Gas earned the No.
1 spot in customer satisfaction with residential natural gas
service in the South among large utilities for the second year in a
row, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Gas Utility
Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, and has been named by
Cogent Reports as one of the most trusted utility brands in the
U.S. More information: piedmontng.com. Follow Piedmont
Natural Gas: Twitter, Facebook.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities
serve 8.2 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves
1.6 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600
people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition
to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural
gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity
generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets
of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for
Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by
2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the
company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy
storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies
such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired
Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More
information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke
Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos
and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories
about people, innovations, community topics and environmental
issues. Follow Duke Energy
on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Contact: Zach Vavricka
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas