CHARLOTTE - In an effort to promote economic development and support communities in North Carolina, Duke Energy implements the Hire North Carolina contracting program to maximize the use of local contractors for public utility projects in the state.

'We look forward to continuing to support job creation and investment with suppliers, vendors and contractors who, like many of our team members, are proud to live in North Carolina,' said Melody Birmingham, Senior Executive Vice President, Supply Chain and Chief Procurement Officer at Duke Energy. 'The Hire North Carolina program will be a useful resource for Duke Energy to expand access to the diversity of local talent in construction projects.'

'Being a small business owner, I am passionate about supporting other local businesses and minority and women's businesses,' said Neeta Singh, owner of Tiger Controls, an electrical and electronic component distributor business and engineering service provider. 'At this time when many of the small businesses face financial difficulties, I appreciate the creation of this new initiative to identify diverse suppliers. This program will not only boost investments in the state, but will also open other opportunities for minority and women's businesses. It will be a pleasure to add our company to the list of the Hire North Carolina program.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 group company with headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the largest electric power generation holding companies in the United States. It employs 30,000 people, has a capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through Duke Energy's unregulated Renewable Energy unit.

Duke Energy is transforming the customer experience, modernizing the power grid, generating cleaner energy, and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the public and the communities it serves. The regulated Public Services and Electrical Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.7 million commercial customers in six states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy's Renewable Energy unit operates wind and solar energy facilities throughout the United States,

Duke Energy was named one of the 'Most Admired Companies' on Fortune magazine's list in 2020, and appeared on Forbes' 2019 'Best Employers in the United States' list. More information is available on the company at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center site contains press releases, fact sheets, photos, videos, and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination site features stories of human content, innovations, and topics of community and environmental interest.

Contact:

Meredith Archie

Tel: 800.559.3853

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