Duke Energy Microgrant Benefits Emergency Preparedness

Forecasters said this week that the Atlantic Hurricane season is underway. The remnants of Pacific storm Agatha may become tropical Storm Alex as it moves from Mexico’s mainland into the Gulf.

And, with that in mind, Duke Energy announced more than half a million dollars in grant monies to help South Carolina to be prepared in the event of an emergency. Local recipients of $20,000 each include Oconee County Emergency Services, The City of Pickens and Anderson County.

In Oconee County, the grant will help purchase a utility task vehicle (UTV) to access and support remote locations often isolated in emergency situations. Pickens will use their funding to purchase light towers for emergencies, and Anderson County will use their portion for a program that will supply solar-powered weather radios to the public to reduce reliance on internet-based tools in case of power outage. Those radios will be distributed alongside educational materials focused on emergency preparedness.

Duke Energy created the Emergency Preparedness and Storm Resiliency microgrant program in March of this year to help organizations with roles in emergency preparedness increase their resiliency through advanced preparation, planning, equipment and training.