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Nearly 50% of Duke Energy customers now benefit from smart, self-healing technologies
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Duke Energy encourages customers to have a plan in place ahead of the storm.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Resiliency is the ability to recover quickly from a disruption, and Duke Energy has been preparing ahead of the start of hurricane season to respond quickly and restore power faster when the next storm strikes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an above-normal hurricane season with 17 to 25 named storms this season, including 8 to 13 hurricanes, and 4 to 7 of those becoming major hurricanes. This year’s forecast predicts around 30% more storm activity compared to the number of storms predicted last year.
Duke Energy has a comprehensive and flexible storm response plan, built upon decades of experience and improvement. Advanced forecasting and damage modeling processes help the company to place crews, support resources and equipment strategically ahead of a storm to respond quickly as outages occur.
Duke Energy maintains an electric army of more than 17,000 employees and contractors ready to respond to outages when storms strike. And partnerships with peer utilities provide additional resources to shorten response times and get communities back on their feet faster.
“We understand the importance of reliable power, especially when severe weather strikes,” said Scott Batson, Duke Energy senior vice president and chief power grid officer. “We are prepared for this year’s storm season, with thousands of line and vegetation workers, and advanced technologies and equipment ready to respond to storm-related outages when customers count on us the most.”
Building a stronger, more resilient power grid
Duke Energy has been strengthening the electric grid against severe weather, upgrading thousands of poles and wires to increase reliability and better withstand storms, strategically placing outage-prone lines underground in some areas, managing trees and vegetation, and installing smart, self-healing technology that can automatically detect power outages and quickly restore power when an outage occurs.
In 2023, self-healing technology helped to avoid more than 1.5 million customer outages, saving more than 3.6 million hours of total lost outage time across the company’s six-state service area. Nearly 50% of Duke Energy customers now benefit from self-healing and automated restoration technologies, more than double the number of customers served by smart restoration systems two years ago.
The company also recently completed a multi-year modernization project to construct seven new grid control centers across the company’s six-state service area. These advanced facilities help efficiently manage crews and outage response after storms, and can monitor millions of data points across the power grid in real time to give operators more control over system reliability every day. The new facilities and ongoing grid improvements are also essential to supporting the company’s transition to cleaner energy options.
Personal preparedness is key to a more resilient home or business
Duke Energy encourages its customers to prepare for potential hurricanes and other severe storms and to have a plan to increase their personal resiliency following a major storm. Below are some recommended safety tips:
Before the storm
- Create (or update) an emergency supply kit to save valuable time later. The kit should include everything an individual or family would need for at least two weeks, especially medicines, water, nonperishable foods and other supplies that might be hard to find after a storm hits. Visit Ready.gov for more helpful tips as you develop your emergency plan.
- Have a plan in place to move family members – especially those with special needs – to a safe, alternate location if an extended power outage occurs.
- Charge cellphones, computers and other electronic devices in advance of storms to stay connected to important safety and response information. And make sure all portable chargers are fully charged. Consider purchasing a portable radio to monitor weather and get updates.
- Download the Red Cross Emergency app to stay connected to tips ahead of the storm and response activities as communities recover.
During the storm
- If an outage occurs, disconnect or turn off any nonessential electrical equipment that may start automatically when power is restored to avoid overloading circuits.
- Do not open freezers or refrigerators more than necessary. Opening can cause food to thaw more quickly.
After the storm
- Stay away from downed power lines and areas that may be hiding lines, such as floodwater and debris. Consider all lines energized, as well as trees, limbs or anything in contact with lines. Report downed lines to Duke Energy.
- Only operate generators outside and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
- If a power line falls across a car that you are in, stay in the car. If you must get out of the car due to a fire or another immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body touches the car when your feet touch the ground.
- If you must travel right after a storm, never drive across downed power lines and always move over or slow down when passing utility crews working along the side of the road.
For more tips on how to prepare for storm season and how Duke Energy can help, please visit duke-energy.com/StormTips. For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy).
Outage reporting
Customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it the following ways:
- Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app – Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via the Apple Store or Google Play.
- Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
- Call 1-800-POWER-ON (800-543-5599).
- Customers can find more at duke-energy.com/storm.
Customer service specialists also will be available to manage customer calls should the need arise, with more than 1,500 additional corporate responders from across all Duke Energy jurisdictions available to assist as needed.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: 24 Hour 800.559.3853