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USF engineering students toured plant operations and met employees who keep it running
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AABE Florida Chapter, in partnership with the Duke Energy Foundation, presented $1,000 to USF’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Engineering students from the University of South Florida toured Duke Energy Florida’s Bartow Plant on Friday, meeting the employees who keep the power on for the company’s 2 million customers.
Why it matters: As Florida’s energy needs grow, so does the need for the next generation of engineers to operate and maintain the plants that power the state.
Driving the news: Students from USF’s chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) spent the day at the plant, where they:
- Toured plant operations alongside Bartow employees
- Heard from Duke Energy recruiters on career opportunities, what the company looks for in applicants and how students can prepare at every stage of college
- Joined in thanking the Bartow Plant team ahead of Power Plant Worker Appreciation Day (Monday, Nov. 2)
The funds to back it up: The AABE Florida Chapter, in partnership with the Duke Energy Foundation, presented $1,000 to USF’s NSBE chapter. The funds will support programming and educational opportunities for the engineering students. Since 2021, ABBE and the Duke Energy Foundation have given $5,000 to the NSBE chapter.
What they’re saying
Melissa Seixas, president, Duke Energy Florida: “Any time we open the doors to our power plants or operations centers, it helps bring the excitement to students considering a future in energy. We’re honored to give engineering students an opportunity to see first-hand what the real-world application behind their study looks like.”
The big picture: The visit was hosted by Duke Energy Florida team members associated with the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) and the company’s Youth in Energy Academy (YEA), in recognition of AABE Energy Awareness Month.
Duke Energy designated Power Plant Worker Appreciation Day in 2021 to honor the employees who operate and maintain its power generation facilities.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
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 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
Contact: Laitin Sterling
24-Hour: 800.559.3853