At A Glance

• Has four units capable of producing 700,000 kilowatts - enough to power 600,000 homes 
• Largest taxpayer in Buncombe Co. - about $1.7 million annually 
• Added two clean-burning natural gas-fueled units in 1999 and 2000
• First plant in Southeast to use combination of amine/natural gas injection to reduce NOx
• Additional NOx and SO₂ emission-reduction technology installation scheduled
• Part of the community since 1964

Environmental Commitment

Protecting the environment is at the forefront of all we do at Progress Energy, from generating power to investing in stronger communities. Some of our environmental achievements include:

• Investment and commitment of more than $1 billion in nitrogen oxides and sulfur-dioxide emission-reduction technologies at our coal-fired power plants. Agreement in North Carolina to reduce NOx and SO₂ by 70 percent from 1998 levels, in addition to reductions already achieved.
• Numerous wildlife protection initiatives, including the installation of specially designed osprey nesting platforms on transmission and distribution facilities in Florida as well as osprey platforms in the Carolinas.
• Removal of the Quaker Neck Dam (N.C.) in 1997 to allow natural fish spawning in Neuse River basin – first major voluntary dam removal in U.S. for conservation purposes.
• Transfer of ownership of Weedon Island property to Pinellas County to support county’s effort to expand a park. Portions of the island also have been designated as a manatee refuge.
• Major partnerships with the Nature Conservancy in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

The Toxics Release Inventory

Companies in many industries, including the electric utility industry, are required to report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency the specific amounts of certain chemicals handled or released annually. This report is known as the Toxics Release Inventory, or TRI. Progress Energy announced data on substances produced at Progress Energy's coal- and oil-fueled power plants in generating electricity for the company's customers in the Carolinas and Florida. Utilities are required to file the report, including the inventory of pounds of emissions, with the EPA July 1.