Three days after Hurricane Ian exited the state, Duke Energy Florida wrapping up restoration

• All customers who can receive power will be restored by Monday night
• About 1 million customers restored during the storm's aftermath
• Company helping neighbors; making resources available to Southwest Florida to speed power restoration

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida aims to have all customers restored Monday night ? except for those who cannot receive power because of damage or flooding.

"Our crews have restored nearly 1 million customers since the storm left Florida, and we are pushing ahead to have all customers restored Monday night," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Our crews have worked tirelessly the past few days, and we thank our customers for their patience during this stressful time."

As of 2 p.m., the company had around 15,000 customers without power. Duke Energy Florida serves 1.9 million customers in the state.

Seixas added the workforce that began with 10,000 personnel from around the country helped speed restoration. This progress enables Duke Energy Florida to make resources available to other utilities in the state, especially those in the devastated Southwest counties.

Along with additional crews, the company was helped by its recent improvements to  the grid, minimizing outages and restoration times.

"Duke Energy Florida's storm preparation and grid modernization paid dividends as we were able to begin restoring power even before the storm exited our territory," said Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director. "We still have work to do in some flooded areas, and we'll be able to restore service there as soon as it is safe to do so."

Customers who have experienced flooding or damage

If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make repairs and obtain verification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored.

If the meter box is pulled away from a customer's house or mobile home service pole and power is not being received, the homeowner is responsible for contacting an electrician to reattach the meter box and/or provide a permanent fix. In some instances, an electrical inspection may be required by the county before Duke Energy can reconnect service. An electrician can advise customers on next steps.

Keeping customers informed

Customers who experience a power outage can report it the following ways:

• Visit duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
• Use the Duke Energy mobile app ? download the Duke Energy app from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play.
• Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
• Call the automated outage reporting system at 800.228.8485.

There is also an interactive outage map where customers can find up-to-date information on power outages, including the total number of outages systemwide and estimated times of restoration.

The company also will provide regular updates to customers and communities through emails, text messages, outbound phone calls, social media and its website, which includes power outage maps.

For company updates, visit dukeenergyupdates.com.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Cell: 315.877.3031
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

SOURCE Duke Energy