Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States, supplies and delivers electricity to approximately 7.4 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million people. The company also distributes natural gas to more than 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its commercial and international businesses operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing renewable energy portfolio. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK.

What We Do

We are one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States, supplying and delivering electricity to approximately 7.4 million U.S. customers. We have approximately 52,700 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Carolinas, the Midwest and Florida – and natural gas distribution services serving more than 1.5 million customers in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Our commercial and international businesses own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a portfolio of renewable energy assets.

The Beginning: Growing the South's Economy
Duke Energy's history began with the Catawba Power Company in the early 1900s. Dr. W. Gill Wylie, James Buchanan Duke and William States Lee founded the company because they felt the South's heavy dependence on agriculture was prohibiting growth of other industries – and so they envisioned an integrated electric system of hydro-powered generating stations.

They took the first big step toward this goal in 1904 when the Catawba Hydro Station in South Carolina began providing electricity to Victoria Cotton Mills. Over the next several years, the company's hydroelectric fleet continued to grow to serve not only commercial textile mills, but the entire region's growing appetite for electricity.

The company's leaders also felt strongly about giving back to the communities they served. Their strong philanthropic commitment advanced the region's quality of life by funding health care and education in the Carolinas. It’s a tradition that lives on today. The Duke Energy Foundation targets investments in areas where it believes the company can have the greatest impact on the well-being of our communities – the environment, economic and workforce development, education and community vitality.