Duke Energy Florida celebrates Engineers Week, highlights importance of training new power grid dispatchers

Core Insights - Duke Energy Florida is celebrating Engineers Week from February 16 to February 22, emphasizing the critical role of power grid dispatchers in maintaining service reliability for over 2 million customers across a 35-county area [1][8] - The company highlights the extensive training required for power grid dispatchers, which includes nearly two years of classroom and on-the-job experience, along with problem-solving skills typically derived from electrical engineering backgrounds [2][3] Company Overview - Duke Energy Florida owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, providing electricity to 2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers within a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida [5] - Duke Energy, a Fortune 150 company, serves 8.4 million customers across multiple states and collectively owns 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity [6] Operational Insights - Power grid dispatchers work in 12-hour rotating shifts to ensure 24/7 coverage, coordinating with line crews for infrastructure upgrades and outage responses while adhering to strict safety protocols [3][4] - The company is focused on building a smarter energy future through significant investments in electric grid upgrades and cleaner energy generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables, and energy storage [7]