ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.,
Jan. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- Duke Energy Florida, in partnership with the Arbor Day
Foundation's Energy-Saving Trees program, is giving away 1,200 free
trees to its customers to honor Florida Arbor Day today.
Duke Energy customers can request a free tree, in a
1-gallon pot, online at arborday.org/dukeenergy starting today and
continuing until all trees are distributed.
The trees are shipped directly to customers' homes with planting
and care instructions. They are expected to be delivered in time
for National Arbor Day, April 24,
2020.
Available tree species include the Crape myrtle, Dahoon Holly,
Little Gem Magnolia, Sweetbay Magnolia and Red Bottlebrush.
Duke Energy Florida is investing $50,000 to purchase the trees and has partnered
with the Arbor Day Foundation to distribute them.
Duke Energy has participated in the program for four consecutive
years. Since 2017, the company has given away 8,740 trees to
customers throughout the state.
"We're proud to continue offering free trees to our customers
for the fourth straight year," said Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida
president. "Trees planted in the right place help conserve energy,
enable us to provide safe and reliable energy, and beautify our
communities."
The Arbor Day Foundation's Energy-Saving Trees and Tree Line
USA programs demonstrate how trees
and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and
citizens by highlighting best management practices in public and
private utility arboriculture. Duke Energy Florida has been
recognized for its tree management practices for 14 consecutive
years.
For information about planning and planting vegetation around
electrical facilities, please visit Duke Energy's Right Tree Right
Place website.
2019 Community Impact
Duke Energy Florida energized its communities with more than
power in 2019, by investing nearly $3
million in Sunshine State
nonprofit organizations.
The grants were awarded by the Duke Energy Foundation, which
provides philanthropic support to meet critical community needs
through its Powerful Communities program. The program funds
community impact initiatives focused on K-12 education, nature,
workforce and economic development.
The company partnered with the Tampa Bay Rays on its Victories
for Veterans program for the fourth consecutive year, donating
$105,000 through the Duke Energy
Foundation to charities that support veterans across the state.
The Duke Energy Foundation also responded to emergent needs that
arose in 2019, including $150,000 to
Hurricane Michael recovery efforts.
Additionally, company employees volunteered almost 20,000 hours
in their communities in 2019.
For more information on the Duke Energy Foundation, visit
duke-energy.com/foundation.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns a diverse
generation mix of natural gas, coal and renewables, providing about
10,200 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.8
million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of the
largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000
people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts
through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its
nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.
Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience,
modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and
expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy
future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric
Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve
approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states –
North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities
and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6
million customers in five states – North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit
operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as
well as energy storage and microgrid projects.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 "World's Most Admired
Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list.
More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact
sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's
illumination features stories about people, innovations,
community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on
Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Contact: Peveeta Persaud
Office: 727.820.5592 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_PeveetaP
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SOURCE Duke Energy