Duke Energy Reminds Residents That Safe Digging Starts With 811

As residents continue summer yard projects, Duke Energy wants to remind everyone to call 811 before digging to prevent potential personal injury and avoid electric outages.

“Keeping our customers safe and protecting our underground utility infrastructure are top priorities,” said Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana. “Even simple digging jobs can cause serious injuries and disrupt vital utility services to communities, so it is important to call 811 to prevent unnecessary and potentially dangerous situations and outages in our communities.”

The national “811 Call Before You Dig” system was created so anyone who plans to dig can make a free call to have underground utility lines clearly marked. Contractors, homeowners, business owners and anyone preparing for a digging project should call 811 at least three business days before digging begins. The local utilities will then send a crew to mark underground lines in the area (electric, natural gas, water, sewer, phone, cable TV and others) with stakes, flags or paint.

From January to June 2022, Duke Energy reported nearly 260 cuts to its underground electric lines in Indiana.

“Our best defense is awareness and ongoing education to call 811 before you dig,” added Pinegar. “We are committed to sharing this message with our customers and communities to avoid these accidents.”

For a video that shows how to use 811, click here. For additional information about 811, visit Call 811 Before You Dig. To get in touch with the 811 center in your state, dial 811 or visit Call811.com.

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,300 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 870,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.