Duke Energy celebrates Earth Day with $100,000 in grant funding to improve access to South Carolina parks, trails

• Funding is a part of $400,000 monthlong marketing campaign centered on sustainability, environmental efforts throughout Palmetto State. 

• Grants will help initiatives by South Carolina State Parks, The Nature Conservancy, Palmetto Path and Foothills Path.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – On Earth Day, the Duke Power Basis is awarding $100,000 in grants to organizations that preserve important entry to parks and trails throughout South Carolina, making certain future generations benefit from the immeasurable advantages of the pure assets of the Palmetto State.

This effort is a part of a monthlong initiative by Duke Power to spotlight organizations and packages that improve and promote a sustainable future for South Carolina. This marketing campaign will present almost $400,000 to quite a few nonprofits and governmental companies and spotlight world efforts like Earth Day and Arbor Day on the native degree.

To have fun Earth Day, the corporate is offering $25,000 grants to 4 organizations that may use the funding to enhance path entry in pure areas below their care:

• South Carolina State Parks: Funding will enhance handicap accessibility to Lake Placid at Paris Mountain State Park.
   
• The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina: Grant will assist construct a brand new 20-mile stretch of path at Jones Hole State Park known as the Hole Creek Extension.
   
• Palmetto Path: Funding may also help the Hole Creek Extension in addition to up to date path signage, a trailhead kiosk and future path planning efforts.
   
• Foothills Trails: Grant will assist substitute current wood footbridges all through the Foothills Path and improve tools used to handle the path.

Earlier this month, Duke Power kicked off the initiative by offering PalmettoPride $100,000 to help the packages in native communities managed by the 37 Maintain South Carolina Lovely affiliate organizations, who deal with litter decide up and beautification all through their areas.

The marketing campaign continued by highlighting TreesUpstate and the Power Saving Bushes Program. Since 2016, Duke Power Basis funding has provided greater than 15,000 free timber by way of the Power Saving Bushes Program, and most not too long ago supplied $78,000 in grant funding to help increasing this system by way of outreach to underrepresented Hispanic communities and translating supplies into Spanish.

Duke Power workers and retirees are additionally volunteering their time and efforts all through the month with these and different organizations to help packages of their native communities.

Quotes

• “Duke Power is an unbelievable associate to South Carolina State Parks,” stated Paul McCormack, director of South Carolina State Parks. “Accessibility enhancements between the Guests Middle and Lake Placid at Paris Mountain will improve alternatives for customers with mobility impairments to entry a stupendous a part of the park, and the Jones Hole Path extension will assist increase among the greatest climbing trails within the state. Duke Power’s help helps us defend extra treasured locations and – as importantly – it helps guarantee we are able to share these locations with extra guests.”
   
• “5 years in the past, the Duke Power Water Assets Fund generously supported The Nature Conservancy’s buy of a 955-acre property to increase Jones Hole State Park,” stated Dale Threatt-Taylor, government director for The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina. “At this time, this extra $25,000 funding from the Duke Power Basis will help the design of greater than 20 miles of trails that may traverse all through that property. Offering extra outside leisure entry for South Carolinians to get pleasure from is a perfect strategy to have fun Earth Day, and we’re excited to have the muse’s continued help in defending and stewarding particular landscapes within the Upstate and past.”
   
• “The Palmetto Path believes within the energy of partnership and is happy to hitch the corporate of South Carolina State Parks, Foothills Path and The Nature Conservancy in efforts to increase and preserve nature-based trails within the Upstate,” stated Mary Roe, government director of the Palmetto Conservancy. “We respect Duke Power’s continued help of the Palmetto Path challenge and collectively we’re offering extra cross-state path entry for all South Carolinians.
   
• “We respect the continued help of the Duke Power Basis to assist us share the marvel of the Foothills Path with numerous guests every year,” stated Heyward Douglass, government director of the Foothills Path Conservancy. “This grant will be certain that hikers who come from everywhere in the United States, and everywhere in the world, can have a protected and pleasurable expertise on the path.”
   
• “We expect it’s vital to work alongside our group companions to make sure all the stunning locations in South Carolina will be loved for years to return,” stated Mike Callahan, Duke Power South Carolina state president. “The organizations these funds help will assist within the safety of the surroundings and supply communities with much-needed assets to advertise good stewardship of the pure magnificence round us.”

Duke Power Basis

The Duke Power Basis gives greater than $30 million yearly in philanthropic help to satisfy the wants of communities the place Duke Power clients reside and work. The inspiration is funded by Duke Power shareholders.

Duke Power (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 firm headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is certainly one of America’s largest power holding corporations. Its electrical utilities serve 8.2 million clients in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively personal 50,000 megawatts of power capability. Its pure gasoline unit serves 1.6 million clients in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The corporate employs 28,000 folks.

Duke Power is executing an aggressive clear power transition to attain its objectives of net-zero methane emissions from its pure gasoline enterprise and not less than a 50% carbon discount from electrical era by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero objectives additionally embrace Scope 2 and sure Scope 3 emissions. As well as, the corporate is investing in main electrical grid enhancements and power storage, and exploring zero-emission energy era applied sciences similar to hydrogen and superior nuclear.

Duke Power was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Firms” checklist and Forbes’ “America’s Finest Employers” checklist. Extra data is on the market at duke-energy.com. The Duke Power Information Middle incorporates information releases, truth sheets, photographs and movies. Duke Power’s illumination options tales about folks, improvements, group subjects and environmental points. Comply with Duke Power on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Fb.

Media contact: Ryan Mosier
800.559.3853