CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Duke Energy, the nation's largest electric utility, today deployed 423 additional employees and contractors to help restore power to more than 8 million homes and businesses in the hard hit Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. following Hurricane Sandy.
The new workers join 1,250 Duke Energy workers dispatched Monday, bringing the company's total storm contingent to nearly 1,700.
The utility also said it expects to deploy additional crews Wednesday.
The 423 workers deployed today are based in North Carolina. Those dispatched Monday are based in Florida and Indiana.
"Our hearts go out to the millions of our fellow Americans affected by this devastating storm of historic proportions," said Lloyd Yates, Duke Energy's executive vice president for customer operations. "Duke Energy, in partnership with many other utilities from across the U.S., will work as quickly as possible to help safely restore power in impacted areas."
Duke Energy already has restored power to 160,000 of its own customers who lost electricity due to the hurricane, mostly in North Carolina and Florida.
So far, Duke Energy crews have been deployed to assist the following utilities in Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states: Dominion Power, AEP, PHI, First Energy, PPL, National Grid, Northeast Utilities, Connecticut Power and Light, and United Illuminating.
Duke Energy is the largest electric power holding company in the United States with more than $100 billion in total assets. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.1 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest. Its commercial power and international business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com.