here<\/a>.<\/p>\nST. PETERSBURG, Fla. \u2013 Engineering students from the University of South Florida toured Duke Energy Florida\u2019s Bartow Plant on Friday, meeting the employees who keep the power on for the company\u2019s 2 million customers.<\/p>\n
Why it matters: As Florida\u2019s energy needs grow, so does the need for the next generation of engineers to operate and maintain the plants that power the state.<\/p>\n
Driving the news: Students from USF\u2019s chapters of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) spent the day at the plant, where they:<\/p>\n
\n\tToured plant operations alongside Bartow employees
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tHeard from Duke Energy recruiters on career opportunities, what the company looks for in applicants and how students can prepare at every stage of college
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tJoined in thanking the Bartow Plant team ahead of Power Plant Worker Appreciation Day (Monday, Nov. 2)
<\/p>\n
The funds to back it up: The AABE Florida Chapter, in partnership with the Duke Energy Foundation, presented $1,000 to USF\u2019s NSBE chapter. The funds will support programming and educational opportunities for the engineering students. Since 2021, ABBE and the Duke Energy Foundation have given $5,000 to the NSBE chapter.<\/p>\n
What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n
Melissa Seixas, president, Duke Energy Florida: \u201cAny time we open the doors to our power plants or operations centers, it helps bring the excitement to students considering a future in energy. We\u2019re honored to give engineering students an opportunity to see first-hand what the real-world application behind their study looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
The big picture: The visit was hosted by Duke Energy Florida team members associated with the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) and the company\u2019s Youth in Energy Academy (YEA), in recognition of AABE Energy Awareness Month.<\/p>\n
Duke Energy designated Power Plant Worker Appreciation Day in 2021 to honor the employees who operate and maintain its power generation facilities. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke Energy Florida<\/p>\n
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Duke Energy<\/p>\n
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America\u2019s largest energy holding companies. The company\u2019s electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.<\/p>\n
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.<\/p>\n
More information is available at\u00a0duke-energy.com<\/a>. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook\u00a0for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.<\/p>\nContact: Laitin Sterling
\n24-Hour: 800.559.3853<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
USF engineering students toured plant operations and met employees who keep it running
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