Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky has announced the recipients of its 2025 Economic Development Awards, which honor organizations and individuals contributing to economic growth in the region. The awards, established in 2023, are given annually within the company’s service areas in Ohio and Kentucky.
This year, the City of Fairfield (Ohio) received the Duke Energy Partner Achievement Award for its collaboration with Duke Energy on several projects throughout 2025, as well as ongoing development efforts over the past five years. Notable projects include work with Koch Foods and Pacific Manufacturing.
The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority was recognized with the Duke Energy Visionary Achievement Award. The organization has played a key role in projects such as Givaudan in Reading (Ohio) and continues to collaborate with Duke Energy on infrastructure planning and site reviews to support future development.
Within Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky, Martin Rios, Dina Riemann, Andre Rose from transactional legal support, and Roger Zimmerman, an electric distribution planner, received the Energizing Economic Development Award for their work supporting major projects and economic development initiatives.
Last year, Duke Energy’s Economic Development team worked alongside state and regional partners to attract more than $548 million in new capital investment to the area. These efforts led to the creation of over 1,000 jobs across the region.
The company’s site readiness program has evaluated 42 sites in southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky since its inception. This initiative aims to identify and improve high-potential industry locations to make them more competitive for business investment.
Partnerships with REDI Cincinnati and BE NKY Growth Partnership have been highlighted as important factors in recent regional economic expansion.
Amy Spiller, President of Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky, stated: “Through the efforts of our economic development team and local partners, we’ve been able to bring national and global organizations to our region. It gives us great pride to have supported these efforts, which ultimately landed opportunities for our communities to grow and prosper.”
Kimm Lauterbach, President & CEO of REDI Cincinnati added: “Duke Energy’s recognition of these award recipients reflects a deep commitment to advancing economic development across the Cincinnati region. Their support elevates the communities and partners whose work is driving impactful growth, expanding opportunity and shaping a stronger future for our region.”
Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky serves nearly one million electric customers across a 3,000-square-mile area and provides natural gas service to over half a million customers within a 2,650-square-mile territory spanning Ohio and Kentucky. The parent company Duke Energy is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is among America’s largest energy holding companies with operations serving millions across several states.
More details can be found at the Duke Energy News Center. The company maintains an active presence on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook; stories about energy innovation can be found on its Illumination platform.
