Duke Energy 2015 Annual Report Download - page 11

2015 ANNUAL REPORT / 9 /
“ To me, being an
industry leader requires
engaging all employees
and working
constructively with
all stakeholders.”
Melissa Anderson
Senior Vice President
and Chief Human
Resources Ofcer
to benet all customers and adapt to the
changes occurring in the market.
I’m excited about what this new
strategy will mean for our customers,
investors and employees and how it will
position Duke Energy for agile leadership
in a world of accelerating change.
Advancing what’s next
for communities
We’re also helping communities build
a brighter future beyond just electric
power – from economic development
to philanthropy, volunteerism and
environmental sustainability.
In partnership with our state and local
economic development agencies, Duke
Energy helped recruit more than $3.5
billion in capital investment and 12,000
jobs to our service territories in 2015.
This included a diverse mix of industries,
such as automotive, aerospace, food
and beverage, life sciences, advanced
manufacturing and data centers.
In 2015, the Duke Energy Foundation
donated more than $30 million
in charitable gifts to communities
throughout our six-state service area.
Our “K to Career” philanthropic initiative
provides a strong focus on science,
technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) education and workforce
preparedness. Also, our employees
volunteered more than 21,000 hours
of community service.
We worked closely with many regional
community groups and interested parties
to secure the November 2015 federal
approval of Duke Energy’s license to
manage the Catawba River for 40 more
years. We operate 23 powerhouses and
11 reservoirs in the Carolinas along
this 225-mile stretch of the river. The
Catawba River basin provides enormous
economic and recreational benets for
the entire region.
Our communities are important to us,
and when they speak, we listen. That
happened with our $1 billion Western
Carolinas Modernization Project
announced in May 2015. Our plan to
supply the region’s growing power
needs in a clean, efcient way included
retiring a coal-red plant, building a
natural gas plant and a solar facility, and
expanding our transmission capabilities.
of the most innovative rms working
eet. We will also need greater operational
exibility in our interconnected system of