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Daily CSR

Daily CSR
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Duke Energy’s 2023 Site Readiness Program: Boosting Economic Growth in Florida



11/06/2023


Duke Energy has chosen 11 properties in Florida for its 2023 Site Readiness Program. This initiative aims to prepare promising business and industrial sites for economic development investments and promotes them nationwide to companies seeking to expand or relocate their operations.

Melissa Seixas, the State President of Duke Energy Florida, emphasized the importance of economic growth for communities. She highlighted the crucial role of Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program in enhancing the competitiveness of potential industrial land, leading to transformative investments in the communities they serve.

Between 2013 and 2023, the program has assessed 49 sites in Florida. Out of these, 43 are still active. Six companies have chosen these properties, resulting in a new capital investment of $270 million and the creation of 1,040 new jobs in the communities served by Duke Energy in Florida.

The locations included in the 2023 Site Readiness Program are:
  • Archer Industrial Site, Alachua County, North-Central Florida
  • Cemex Industrial Site, Hernando County, West Florida
  • Gram’s Legacy Grove Site, Taylor County, North Florida
  • Hamilton 45 Site, Hamilton County, North Florida
  • Hunt Brothers Site, Polk County, Central Florida
  • Marion County Airport, Marion County, North-Central Florida
  • Marlene O’Toole Industrial Park, Sumter County, North-Central Florida
  • Monarch Ranch Site, Sumter County, North-Central Florida
  • MTI Site, Gulf County, North Florida
  • Nutrien White Springs Site, Hamilton County, North Florida
  • Sebring Airport Industrial Site, Highlands County, South-Central Florida
Jeff Hendry, the Executive Director of the North Florida Economic Development Partnership, stressed the importance of developing a highly competitive site inventory for economic development in their region. He praised Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program for its substantial investment, technical assistance, and invaluable expertise, which has significantly expanded their inventory of competitive sites.

Duke Energy’s economic development efforts have been recognized by Site Selection magazine for 19 consecutive years in their annual list of “Top Utilities in Economic Development.” Since 2001, the Duke Energy economic development team has assisted in the expansion or attraction of 325 companies to Florida, bringing more than 48,000 jobs and over $5 billion in capital investment to the state.