PLAINFIELD, Ind., May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy's economic development consultants have selected six Indiana locations to participate in the company's 2018 Site Readiness Program.
The locations include:
- A 66-acre site near Creek Way and 106th Street in Zionsville (Boone County)
- A 175-acre site in the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville (Clark County)
- An 80-acre site along State Road 1 near the Interstate 74 interchange at St. Leon (Franklin County)
- A 200-acre site at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Airport in Fishers (Hamilton County)
- A 143-acre site along East County Road 400 South near the interchange of State Road 3 and Interstate 70 (Henry County)
- A 500-acre site inside the Vermillion Rise Mega Park (Vermillion County)
The Site Readiness Program identifies, evaluates and improves sites in the company's service territory for potential industrial development.
"Duke Energy is honored to select these communities for participation in the 2018 Site Readiness Program," said Erin Schneider, director of economic development for Duke Energy Indiana. "We are eager to contribute resources to help promote economic development, jobs and quality of life for these regions."
A national site consulting firm will evaluate five of the six sites, while Banning Engineering will produce conceptual drawings and site plans.
The Franklin County site will participate in a first-time Site Readiness Light Program, which includes the same treatment as the other five sites, but without the evaluation from McCallum Sweeney Consulting. This will then qualify the site to participate in the full Site Readiness Program as early as next year.
Duke Energy will present its findings for each site – including a detailed report and conceptual drawings – to city and county officials when the studies are completed later this year. Economic development organizations in each location will also receive a check for $10,000 from Duke Energy to help implement the recommendations.
After each site's state of readiness has advanced, Duke Energy's business development team will strategically market those sites nationwide to companies looking to expand or relocate their operations.
Ideal properties for Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program are typically 40 acres or larger, served by the utility, or a vacant industrial building of at least 20,000 square feet identified to support renewed industrial growth and sustainable development in a community.
Duke Energy Indiana's overall economic development program has been consistently named by Site Selection magazine as one of the nation's "Top 10 Utility Economic Development Programs." Since 2008, the company has participated in the creation of nearly 20,000 jobs with a total capital investment of approximately $4.5 billion.
For more information about Duke Energy Indiana's economic development programs, visit locationindiana.com.
About Duke Energy
Duke Energy Indiana's operations provide about 6,800 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 820,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it the state's largest electric supplier.
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SOURCE Duke Energy