Duke Energy has announced the inclusion of several North Carolina properties in its Site Readiness Program, an initiative aimed at preparing industrial sites for economic development. The program is designed to make these locations more attractive to companies looking to expand or relocate.
The newly selected sites for 2025 are Robin Hood in Harnett County, T&S Hardwoods in Jackson County, Bumgarner in Wilkes County, Morehead West in Cabarrus County, Granite Industrial Park Expansion in Rowan County, and NCIC West in Alamance County.
Through the Site Readiness Program, Duke Energy collaborates with partners specializing in site selection and engineering to assess and enhance the competitiveness of each location. The company also works closely with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and local organizations to improve the state’s inventory of ready-to-develop sites. This strategy aims to attract large-scale projects that can help offset infrastructure costs while supporting reliability improvements for all customers.
Since 2005, the program has contributed to nearly $53 billion in capital investments and almost 48,500 new jobs across North Carolina. In 2025 alone, projects announced on these prepared sites are expected to bring about $16 billion in investment and over 16,400 jobs. To date, Duke Energy has evaluated 175 sites within the state; 92 companies have chosen locations that went through this process.
Notable examples of successful developments on these sites include Toyota Battery’s manufacturing facility in Randolph County, the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center East in Lenoir County, and BorgWarner’s new plant in Henderson County.
For more than two decades, Duke Energy’s economic development efforts have been recognized by Site Selection magazine as among the top utilities nationwide. North Carolina itself was recently named a leading state for business climate and workforce readiness.
Kendal Bowman, president of Duke Energy North Carolina said: “Duke Energy is proud to help drive North Carolina’s economic growth by preparing communities to attract new jobs and investment. Our Site Readiness Program is a testament to the power of partnership and long-term vision, connecting local leaders, economic development organizations, and the state to create opportunities that benefit all North Carolinians. The addition of seven promising sites builds on this momentum, and we look forward to continuing to support North Carolina as the nation’s top state for business and manufacturing.”
Christopher Chung, chief executive officer for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina added: “Duke Energy is an invaluable partner in North Carolina’s economic development efforts, and there’s no better example of that partnership than the Site Readiness Program. By helping identify sites that are ready for development, the program has supported projects that have brought tens of thousands of jobs to our state – lifting up families and communities across North Carolina.”
Duke Energy serves millions of electric customers across six states and provides natural gas service throughout five states. The company continues investing heavily into grid upgrades as well as cleaner energy sources such as renewables and storage technologies.
Further information about Duke Energy can be found at duke-energy.com or through their social media channels.
