Duke Energy 2012 Annual Report Download - page 15

This document includes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking
statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions.
These forward-looking statements are identied by terms and
phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “estimate,”
“expect,” “continue,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “plan,” “project,”
“predict,” “will,” “potential,” “forecast,” “target,” “outlook,”
“guidance,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to
be materially different from the results predicted. Factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
indicated in any forward-looking statement include, but are not
limited to: state, federal and foreign legislative and regulatory
initiatives, including costs of compliance with existing and future
environmental requirements, as well as rulings that affect cost
and investment recovery or have an impact on rate structures;
the ability to recover eligible costs and earn an adequate return
on investment through the regulatory process; the cost of retiring
Progress Energy Florida’s Crystal River Unit 3 could prove to be
more extensive than is currently identied, all costs associated
with the retirement of Crystal River Unit 3, including replacement
power, may not be fully recoverable through the regulatory
process; the ability to maintain relationships with customers,
employees or suppliers post-merger; the ability to successfully
integrate the Progress Energy businesses and realize cost
savings and any other synergies expected from the merger;
the risk that the credit ratings of the combined company or its
subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect;
the impact of compliance with material restrictions of conditions
related to the Progress Energy merger imposed by regulators
could exceed our expectations; costs and effects of legal and
administrative proceedings, settlements, investigations and
claims; industrial, commercial and residential growth or decline
in the service territories of Duke Energy’s subsidiaries, customer
base or customer usage patterns; additional competition in
electric markets and continued industry consolidation; political
and regulatory uncertainty in other countries in which Duke
Energy conducts business; the inuence of weather and other
natural phenomena on the operations of Duke Energy’s
subsidiaries, including the economic, operational and other
effects of storms, hurricanes, droughts and tornadoes; the ability
to successfully operate electric-generating facilities and deliver
electricity to customers; the ability to recover, in a timely manner,
if at all, costs associated with future signicant weather events
through the regulatory process; the impact on Duke Energy’s
facilities and business from a terrorist attack, cyber security
threats and other catastrophic events; the inherent risks
associated with the operation and potential construction of
nuclear facilities, including environmental, health, safety,
regulatory and nancial risks; the timing and extent of changes
in commodity prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange
rates and the ability to recover such costs through the regulatory
process, where appropriate; unscheduled generation outages,
unusual maintenance or repairs and electric transmission system
constraints; the performance of electric generation facilities and
of projects undertaken by Duke Energy’s nonregulated
businesses; the results of nancing efforts, including the ability
of Duke Energy and its subsidiaries to obtain nancing on
favorable terms, which can be affected by various factors,
including Duke Energy’s credit ratings and general economic
conditions; declines in the market prices of equity securities and
resultant cash funding requirements for Duke Energy’s dened
benet pension plans and nuclear decommissioning trust funds;
the level of creditworthiness of counterparties to the transactions
of Duke Energy and its subsidiaries; employee workforce factors,
including the potential inability to attract and retain key
personnel; growth in opportunities for Duke Energy’s business
units, including the timing and success of efforts to develop
domestic and international power and other projects;
construction and development risks associated with the
completion of the capital investment projects of Duke Energy’s
subsidiaries in existing and new generation facilities, including
risks related to nancing, obtaining and complying with terms
of permits, meeting construction budgets and schedules, and
satisfying operating and environmental performance standards,
as well as the ability to recover costs, from ratepayers in a timely
manner or at all; the ability of Duke Energy’s subsidiaries to pay
dividends or distributions to Duke Energy Corporation holding
company (the Parent); the effect of accounting pronouncements
issued periodically by accounting standard-setting bodies; the
impact of potential goodwill impairments; the ability to reinvest
retained earnings of foreign subsidiaries or repatriate such
earnings on a tax-free basis; and the ability to successfully
complete future merger, acquisition or divestiture plans.
Additional risks and uncertainties are identied and discussed
in Duke Energy’s reports led with the SEC and available at the
SEC’s website at sec.gov. In light of these risks, uncertainties
and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking
statements might not occur or might occur to a different extent
or at a different time than Duke Energy has described. Duke Energy
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-
looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
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