Friday, August 10, 2007


Aug. 9, 2007 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) --
To take pressure off its power system, Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK PRA) (NYSE:DUK) interrupted service today for commercial and industrial customers enrolled in two volunteer programs in exchange for rebates.

Duke did not activate a similar program that could affect 180,000 residential customers.

The Charlotte-based utility said it aimed to cut demand in the late afternoon by 408 megawatts, or enough electricity for about 300,000 residential customers, according to an industry formula.

The utility's 45 Carolinas plants were all operating this week amid a record heat wave that saw temperatures touch 103. The forecast is similar for Friday.

Duke set a record Wednesday for power output as it cranked 18,988 megawatts at 4 p.m. -- a high demand time when residents are arriving home from work and turning up air conditioners. The previous record was 18,687 megawatts on July 27, 2005. The company, which has 2.3 million customers in the Carolinas, won't announce if it set a new record today until Friday.

Duke's system, when completely healthy, can generate about 21,000 megawatts, but plant outages are commonplace because equipment needs to be maintained and plants refueled. The company tries to plan for a 17 percent operating cushion.

The company said Wednesday's record underscores the need for more conservation.

Duke has been criticized for wanting to build new large-scale power plants that would pollute and cost billions. Critics have said Duke should aggressively push conservation to reduce demand as the Charlotte-region grows.

In response, the company announced a new conservation program earlier this year called save-a-watt that would allow it to charge customers for programs designed to save energy. It needs approval from state regulators.

The company still plans to build a $2.4 billion coal-fired power unit in the Blue Ridge foothills and a $6 billion nuclear plant in Cherokee County, S.C.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0038-18802974


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