Duke Energy Corp. completed its merger with Progress Energy Inc. on July 2. The merger, valued at about $32 billion, has created what will be known simply as Duke Energy. Duke Energy, also, is now the country's largest electric utility as measured by enterprise value, market capitalization, generation assets, customers and other criteria. With 7.1 million electric customers in the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, the utility generates over 58,000 MW in total capacity.
Duke is now responsible for the third largest nuclear power generation fleet in the U.S.
Prior to the merger, Duke operated seven reactors at three sites; Progress Energy ran five reactors at four sites. Now, Duke operates 12 reactors at seven sites that generate about 17 percent, or 9,500 MW, of the utility’s capacity.
Duke Energy has thrown around the topic of nuclear expansion and has submitted combined construction and operating license (COL) applications to the NRC for the proposed Lee Nuclear Station in Gaffney, S.C., the Levy County site in Florida, and for two new units at its Harris site in New Hill, N.C., all of which would use the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor and all of which are pending. Dave Scanzoni, spokesperson for Duke Energy, said although both Progress and Duke are highly-skilled operators, no decision to build the new units has been made at this time, citing factors such as natural gas prices, the cost of new nuclear, the price of carbon and electricity demand.
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