Duke Energy reports carbon emissions down 48 percent since 2005

According to Duke Energy’s 2023 Impact Report, electric generation carbon emissions are down 48 percent since 2005 and the company is plowing forward to its 2050 clean energy transition strategy.

“As the company executes its clean energy transition, it is assembling a sophisticated puzzle,” Katherine Neebe, Duke Energy’s chief sustainability officer, said. “Each piece – energy generation and storage, grid modernization, supporting communities and working with various stakeholders, multiskilling employees and reducing carbon emissions – is essential. It’s about finding the perfect fit for each piece to create a final picture that reveals a landscape of sustainable and interconnected solutions.”

Duke reported that it is on track to meet interim 50 percent carbon emission reduction targets by 2030. The company added that it expects fluctuations in carbon emissions in the short term as coal retires and other forms of generation enter service.

Last year, its investments reportedly helped the company avoid more than 1.5 million power outages as well, thanks to the deployment of smart, self-healing grid technologies. This, and other investments, have helped improve reliability service for Duke’s customers, while also allowing those customers to access nearly $377 million in financial support.

The company continued to decarbonize its natural gas business last year, with focused investments into methane detection and renewable natural gas, as well as the reduction of emissions related to purchased gas. At the same time, it pushed to cut customer rate impacts of investments in new clean energy infrastructure, among other matters.

This was the 18th report of its kind from Duke Energy.