The electric and natural gas utility industry is undergoing rapid transformation as it pivots to meet rising customer service expectations, utilize the latest technological developments and produce energy in the most environmentally benign way available.

For Duke Energy, this transformative period presents a great opportunity to move forward in four key areas:

• Strengthen the company’s energy delivery system. Duke Energy has developed a 10-year, $25-billion plan to create a more modern, smarter energy grid. In this era of transformation, the demands on the grid have never been greater.
  
  While the grid is reliable, recent events, such as Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina, have highlighted opportunities to strengthen it. (See related article: “A Smarter, Stronger Grid: Benefiting Customers.”)
  
  
• Generate cleaner energy using natural gas and renewables. In the next 10 years, Duke Energy will invest $11 billion in highly efficient natural gas generation and renewable energy sources. By 2030, Duke Energy estimates that 36 percent of its electricity will be generated using natural gas and 9 percent will be generated using renewables – hydro, wind and solar.
  
  These investments, coupled with the retirement of older coal units, will help reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent from the 2005 level by 2030. In addition to commercial renewables, Duke Energy also will invest in regulated renewable assets.
  
  
• Expand the company’s natural gas infrastructure to meet customer needs. Natural gas will continue to play a major role in the future generation needs of Duke Energy and the entire electric utility industry.
  
  With its 2016 acquisition of Piedmont Natural Gas, Duke Energy now operates a five-state gas distribution business. The company also is a part owner of the Atlantic Coast, Sabal Trail and Constitution natural gas pipelines. The first two – both interstate pipelines – will bring much-needed natural gas to the southeast U.S., spurring economic growth that will benefit workers, families and communities.
  
  Duke Energy now ranks second nationally for natural gas consumption across its electric utilities and local natural gas distribution companies. (See related article: “Natural Gas: Moving to a Cleaner, Low-Carbon Future.”)
  
  
• Increase customer satisfaction and continue stakeholder engagement. Over the next 10 years, Duke Energy will pursue a goal of achieving and sustaining top-quartile customer satisfaction by placing the customer at the center of everything the company does.
  
  Duke Energy also will continue to work collaboratively with its various other stakeholders, including community leaders, environmental groups, business organizations, regulators, elected officials and investors. Such collaboration is critical to the company’s success.
  
  

In the next 10 years, Duke Energy will invest $11 billion to increase highly efficient natural gas generation to 35 percent of the company’s electricity generation portfolio, and increase renewable energy sources – hydro, wind and solar – to 9 percent.