Power Engineering - Duke Power, CP&L file 'green power' pricing proposals in N.C.

May 31, 2002 -- Duke Power and CP&L have filed proposed tariffs with the North Carolina Utilities Commission that will give customers the option to support the development of solar, wind, small hydroelectric and biomass electricity sources. Under the plan, customers could pay an additional $4 per month for a block of 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

The NC GreenPower Program will be the first statewide program of its kind in the United States.

"The NC GreenPower Program is the culmination of a collaborative effort and a lot of hard work involving the state's electric utilities, state officials and a variety of environmental and renewable resource advocacy groups and providers," said Steve Young, Duke Power vice president of rates and regulatory affairs.

"Progress Energy is committed to be a good environmental steward and we're proud to be part of this new statewide effort to promote the use of renewable energy," said William Cavanaugh, chairman, president and CEO of Progress Energy, parent company of CP&L.

Customers selecting the green power option will pay an additional $4.00 per month for a 100 kWh block of electricity generated from renewable resources. The renewable resources include such sources as solar, wind, small hydroelectric (7.5 MW or less in size) and biomass.

Customers may select to purchase one or more blocks per month. Funds collected through the program will be transferred directly to the NC Advanced Energy Corporation (NCAEC), the non-profit statewide program administrator, for the support of generators of energy from renewable resources selected to participate in NC GreenPower.

The effort to encourage the development of electricity generated by renewable sources began with an April 2000 recommendation from the Study Commission on the Future of Electric Service in North Carolina, which asked the N.C. Utilities Commission to look into developing a voluntary green power program for consumers.

Once approved, the program is expected to be offered to the customers of all North Carolina utilities accepted into the program within six months. This six-month period will be used to develop appropriate billing infrastructure and customer education materials. Similar tariffs are being proposed to the N.C. Utilities Commission by several electric utilities in the state.

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation's largest electric utilities and provides electricity to about two million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. Duke Power operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units. More information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: www.dukepower.com.

Duke Energy is a diversified multinational energy company with an integrated network of energy assets and expertise. The company manages a portfolio of natural gas and electric supply, delivery and trading businesses. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.

CP&L, a subsidiary of Progress Energy, provides electricity and related services to more than 1.3 million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., and serves a territory encompassing over 34,000 square miles including the cities of Raleigh, Wilmington, Fayetteville, and Asheville in North Carolina and Florence and Sumter in South Carolina. For more information about CP&L, visit the company's Web site at: http://www.cpl.com.

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