HAVELOCK, N.C., Sept. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NOTE TO EDITORS: Today, President Trump came to North Carolina to inspect the recovery effort in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which caused historic death and destruction in the region. Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good participated in a briefing to update the president and other federal officials on the company's work to restore power to 1.6 million customers, with another 140,000 remaining. 

The following statement can be attributed to Lynn Good, chairman and CEO of Duke Energy:

"The president's concern for the people of the Carolinas, some of whose lives have been upended by Hurricane Florence, is deeply appreciated.

"I was honored to share the very strong progress we have made to restore power throughout our service territory – but our most challenging work remains as we focus on those communities devastated by this storm, particularly in the coastal areas.

"Federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency, along with Gov. Cooper and his administration, have been great partners. Their leadership and cooperation are invaluable to our work.

"We've assembled our largest restoration force ever in the Carolinas – over 20,000 workers – to help customers in the wake of Florence. In addition, thousands of employees across our company have volunteered and thrown themselves into helping restore power as fast as conditions allow. Helping customers in times like these brings out the best in our company and employees.

"We've seen firsthand the historic impact this storm has had on our customers and the communities we're proud to serve, and we will not rest until every one of them is restored."

Duke Energy

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy DUK is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts.

The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S.

More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center includes news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Duke Energy