Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky help communities across the region prepare sites to boost economic development

• Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program has enabled evaluation of 44 sites and triggered more than 5,500 new jobs and $3.6 billion in capital investment

• High-potential industrial sites in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Walton, Kentucky, were selected for the 2026 program

CINCINNATI - Duke Energy selected two properties in southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky for inclusion in its 2026 Site Readiness Program, which prepares high-potential industrial sites for economic development investments and markets them nationwide to companies looking to start, expand or relocate their operations in Greater Cincinnati.

Bringing investment and jobs to the region

Since 2010, Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program has evaluated 44 sites in Ohio and Kentucky; 21 companies have located at those sites.

Examples of companies making transformative investments include Amazon CVG, Chick-fil-A and Shape Corp. These companies have resulted in over $3.6 billion in capital investments and 5,500 new jobs for Ohio and Kentucky.

About the program

The Duke Energy Site Readiness Program promotes economic growth by helping communities understand what steps to take to make their sites more competitive. In turn, this results in new jobs and a new tax base.

Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky work with consultant Site Selection Group and local engineering firm Bayer Becker. They also partner closely with REDI Cincinnati and BE NKY Growth Partnership as well as with local community governments and other utilities.

What they're saying

Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky: "Economic development plays a critical role in strengthening our region's future and creating opportunities for long-term prosperity. Duke Energy's Site Readiness Program reflects our commitment to supporting growth by helping to attract investment in the communities we serve. We value our partnerships with local leaders and developers as we work together to create jobs, encourage business expansion and make Greater Cincinnati an even more attractive place to live and work."

Kimm Lauterbach, president and CEO of REDI Cincinnati: "Site readiness is economic development in action. When we work together to identify high-potential sites and make the investments needed to prepare them for the market, we are making it easier for companies to choose the Cincinnati region to locate or grow. Duke Energy's continued commitment to this work, BE NKY and our local communities and partners, is helping turn potential into direct impact through new jobs and new capital investment across our region."

Duke Energy chose two properties for its 2026 Site Readiness Program to enhance these sites for development:

1. 2100 Section Road in Cincinnati, Ohio (Hamilton County)
   
2. Inland Industrial Park North in Walton, Kentucky (Boone County)

Duke Energy's economic development efforts have consistently been recognized by Site Selection magazine in the publication's annual list of "Top Utilities in Economic Development."

Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky

Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky, subsidiaries of Duke Energy, provide electric service to 910,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area and natural gas service to 560,000 customers in a 2,650-square-mile service area in Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.

More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.

Contact: Matt Martin
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
X: @DukeEnergyOH_KY