Duke Energy Foundation provides $200,000 in grants to bolster Florida’s vibrant economy

• Grants will support 15 economic development organizations working to attract businesses to the state

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Duke Energy Foundation is investing $200,000 in grants to support 15 economic development organizations working to attract business to the state and bolster Florida's vibrant economy.

"Companies often consider establishing, expanding or relocating their operations to Florida because of the state's economic strength," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "It's a privilege to support innovative strategies that will build on that success and help ensure our economy continues to grow and thrive for generations to come."

The Orlando Economic Partnership will use a $20,000 grant to develop a tool that will compare Orlando's key business location factors to those of the 30 most populous large regions in the country.

"The Duke Energy Foundation's grant will allow us to have a tool designed to generate new business development leads, create jobs and drive investment in the Orlando region," said Neil Hamilton, Orlando Economic Partnership vice president of market intelligence. "Having access to this data will be invaluable to our economic development efforts, and we are confident it will attract new business opportunities and elevate Orlando's standing as a top metropolitan area."

Another grantee, the St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation, will use $12,500 to increase awareness of the city as a business location - highlighting the Historic Gas Plant District - among site consultants.

"The Duke Energy Foundation grant will help the St. Pete EDC capitalize on this inflection point in our community's growth," said Mike Swesey, St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation president and CEO. "We are poised to become one of the most desirable cities in the country for businesses, and this grant allows us to tell our story to key decision-makers. We are so fortunate to have the backing of Duke, who continually supports the economic growth that benefits our residents."

A complete list of grant recipients can be found below, with additional details available here.

• City of Apopka
• CareerSource Polk/Haines City Economic Development Council
• Citrus County Board of County Commissioners
• CORE Business Center
• City of Deland
• City of Eustis
• Florida's Great Northwest
• Hernando County Board of County Commissioners
• Highlands County Board of County Commissioners
• Nature Coast Business Development Council
• Orlando Economic Partnership/Foundation for Orlando's Future
• Pasco Economic Development Council
• Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners
• St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation
• Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation

For more information about the Duke Energy Foundation, please visit duke-energy.com/community/duke-energy-foundation/Florida.

Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 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
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 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition, keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and nuclear.

More information is available at duke-energy.comand the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagramand Facebook, and visit illuminationfor stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Media contact: Aly Coleman Raschid
Media line: 800.559.3853

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