- NC GreenPower will provide carbon offsets for customer purchase
- Duke Energy Carolinas to match customer contributions up to $1 million
through 2009
- Carbon offset projects will reflect criteria set by environmental
organizations
CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Duke Energy Carolinas
and NC GreenPower have created a carbon offset program for North Carolina
customers interested in "canceling out" the carbon dioxide produced from
their everyday activities like driving, watching television or mowing the
grass.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040414/DUKEENERGYLOGO )
Carbon offsets are created through projects that result in a reduction
of carbon in the atmosphere. Carbon offsets are purchased from a third
party and can neutralize carbon produced from today's energy-intensive
lifestyles.
This new program will be available to Duke Energy Carolinas' North
Carolina customers immediately. Duke Energy Carolinas' South Carolina
customers will be able to participate in the program in the near future.
"As a company, Duke Energy is building more efficient coal- and
gas-fired plants, and investing in wind, solar and other renewable energy.
We are also investigating new technology to capture and sequester carbon
emissions, pursuing innovative energy efficiency programs and supporting
effective and sensible federal climate change legislation," said Keith
Trent, group executive and chief strategy, policy and regulatory officer.
"We value our customers' commitment to energy efficiency and a clean
environment. Through our partnership with NC GreenPower, we hope to give
them the opportunity to achieve their personal goals through these carbon
offsets," said Trent.
Duke Energy Carolinas' North Carolina customers can purchase a carbon
offset for $4 a month, which represents 500 pounds of carbon dioxide, the
equivalent of 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity. For the typical
residential customer, the purchase of two carbon offsets for $8 a month
would offset their average monthly consumption of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of
electricity.
As part of its commitment to the environment and to encourage
participation in the carbon offset program, Duke Energy Carolinas will
match the first carbon offset block purchased by customers from NC
GreenPower up to $1 million through 2009.
The NC GreenPower carbon offset program reflects Duke Energy's
carbon-reduction strategy and efforts. North Carolina customers interested
in reducing the carbon produced from their daily activities now have a
program they can easily enroll in by visiting the company's Web site:
http://www.Duke-Energy.com .
Carbon offset purchases will be reflected in a participating customer's
monthly bill and passed directly to NC GreenPower. NC GreenPower is a
non-profit organization created jointly by the states utilities and
Raleigh-based Advanced Energy to promote renewable energy.
Advanced Energy is a non-profit organization that creates economic,
environmental and societal benefits through innovative and market-based
approaches to energy issues.
"Duke Energy Carolinas has partnered with us to promote renewable
energy in North Carolina, and we are delighted to participate in the
development and administration of this carbon offset program. Program funds
will be used to support carbon offset programs such as reforestation
projects and the capture of methane gas from landfills," said Maggy Inman,
NC GreenPower's vice president.
In selecting projects, NC GreenPower will follow strict criteria
developed by the Environmental Defense Fund. Projects must meet nine
specific criteria, including the following key requirements:
-- It must be a direct carbon emission (no renewable energy certificates)
-- Quantification of emission reductions must be reliable and accurate
-- Emission reductions must be serialized and tracked
-- All offsets must be verified by an independent third party
"NC GreenPower was created to develop renewable sources of energy to
supplement the existing generation sources such as coal and nuclear
generation. We believe this new carbon offset program will be just as
successful in developing projects that address climate change issues," said
Inman.
Additional information regarding NC GreenPower and its programs
supporting the development of renewable energy such as wind, solar and
biomass can be found at its Web site: http://www.NCGreenPower.org
Duke Energy's Carolinas' operations include nuclear, coal-fired,
natural gas and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides
nearly 21,000 megawatts of safe, reliable and competitively priced
electricity to more than 2.3 million electric customers in a
24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.
Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the United
States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 4 million U.S.
customers in its regulated jurisdictions. The company has approximately
35,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Midwest and the
Carolinas, and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. In
addition, Duke Energy has more than 4,000 megawatts of electric generation
in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate
company.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is a Fortune
500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK.
More information about the company is available on the Internet at:
http://www.duke-energy.com.
CONTACT: Andy Thompson
Phone: 704-382-8336
24-Hour: 704-382-8333
SOURCE Duke Energy
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Related links:
http://www.duke-energy.com
http://www.NCGreenPower.org
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040414/DUKEENERGYLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/257451.html /
CONTACT:
Andy Thompson, Duke Energy, +1-704-382-8336,
24-Hour: +1-704-382-8333
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