Duke Energy helps four Indiana communities prepare sites to bring local investment, jobs

Duke Energy has selected four properties in Carroll, Clark, Posey and Tippecanoe counties in Indiana for inclusion in its 2021 Site Readiness Program, which prepares business and industrial sites for economic development investments.

The properties are:

Carroll County – JNT Industrial Site.
Clark County – River Ridge Commerce Center – Charlestown H2 Property.
Posey County – Poseyville 50 Property.
Tippecanoe County – Purdue Research Park Aerospace District.
“Attracting jobs and private-sector investment in the communities we serve is a high priority for Duke Energy,” said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar. “We’re excited to partner with local and regional leaders in Carroll, Clark, Posey and Tippecanoe counties to help them gain a competitive edge by preparing shovel-ready sites for prospective employers.”

Through its Site Readiness Program, Duke Energy identifies high-potential sites and partners with county officials and local economic development professionals to develop a strategy for getting the sites fully ready to market to industrial projects. In Indiana alone, Duke Energy has helped prepare 38 properties that have won 11 major projects since the program started in 2013, drawing more than 2,700 new jobs and $666 million in capital investment to the state.

Inside each site

Duke Energy worked with Banning Engineering and Site Selection Group to evaluate and recommend the sites. Duke Energy will collaborate with local leaders and economic development professionals to develop a strategy for marketing these sites nationwide to companies looking to expand or relocate their operations. Additionally, each site will receive up to a $10,000 grant from Duke Energy to help prepare it to attract projects.

Carroll County – JNT Industrial Site

The JNT Industrial Site is situated on approximately 90 acres of rail-served property located in the geographical center of Carroll County. This site has adjacent municipal utilities and provides access to State Road 218. Along with its strong infrastructure support, the JNT Industrial Site provides access to a Class 1 short line rail that currently serves a large industrial base in north central Indiana.

“Given its close proximity to several key transportation corridors, the JNT Industrial Site is uniquely positioned to attract business development. With Duke Energy as a partner, we’re excited to be able to take our marketing of the site to the next level and further encourage private-sector investment here in Carroll County.” – Jacob D. Adams, executive director, Carroll County Economic Development Corporation

Clark County – River Ridge Commerce Center – Charlestown H2 Property

The River Ridge Commerce Center business park is located in the Louisville metro area and adjacent to the Port of Indiana on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The 6,000-acre park can accommodate projects ranging from 3 acres to 1,500 acres with rail options. Situated by multiple interstates, Ohio River bridges, and one of the world’s largest global air hubs in the form of UPS’s WorldPort, the park has attracted more than 50 companies occupying approximately 14 million square feet of warehouse, administration, manufacturing and distribution space.

“Duke Energy is an outstanding partner who has been focused on our economic development success at the River Ridge Commerce Center for many years. We were thrilled to be selected for Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program to evaluate one of our latest marketable parcels within the park. We plan to use the results to further market the site and help reach our business attraction goals.” – Devin Hillsdon-Smith, deputy director, River Ridge Development Authority

Posey County – Poseyville 50 Property

Posey County is becoming a center for advanced manufacturing, including plastics and plastics derivatives, bio and life sciences, and advanced logistics in southwest Indiana. The Poseyville 50-acre property is located off Interstate 64 and just miles from Interstate 69, with frontage road access along State Road 165. The property currently has utilities on site, including electric, natural gas, water and sewer, and is an attractive site for light industrial manufacturers. The Evansville Regional Airport and the 6th largest inland port in the U.S. are just a few miles away.

“We cannot thank Duke Energy enough for this opportunity and their partnership in economic development. Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program and property recommendations could not have come at a better time as we position ourselves to further market this site and attract new business and industry to Poseyville.” – Jenna Richardt, executive director, Posey County Economic Development Partnership

Tippecanoe County – Purdue Research Park Aerospace District

The Purdue Aerospace District of West Lafayette is ideally situated for high-tech aerospace companies to grow their businesses and collaborate on research and opportunities with Purdue University. The 150-acre site is one of few in the country that resides next to a world-class research institution and houses an active airport adjoining property that can support public and private aerospace research facilities. The district includes the Purdue University Airport, Purdue Aviation, Niswonger Aviation Technology Building, Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories and the recently announced Hypersonic Applied Research Facility, with additional land available for firms to build research and development facilities to advance aerospace technology and innovation. The Aerospace District has welcomed multimillion-dollar investment from private and partner industries including Rolls Royce, Saab, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and the upcoming Hypersonic Ground Test Center.

“Duke Energy continues to provide programs that help communities gain a competitive edge to land new jobs and investment. We are so thankful for the Site Readiness Program and truly value the time spent and knowledge gained from the Duke Energy Economic Development team. We are looking forward to continuing to promote our work on the site to land new businesses and support Indiana’s growing aerospace industry.” – Kim Allen, senior director, business development, Purdue Research Foundation

Economic impact

Duke Energy’s economic development efforts are perennially recognized by Site Selection magazine in the publication’s annual list of “Top Utilities in Economic Development.” Including the Site Readiness Program, Duke Energy helped attract a total of $1.1 billion in capital investment in Indiana that supported 5,200 jobs for the state in 2020.

Duke Energy Indiana

Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides about 6,600 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 840,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it Indiana’s largest electric supplier.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 7.9 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 51,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,500 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities – with goals of at least a 50 percent carbon reduction by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S. renewable energy provider, on track to own or purchase 16,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2025. The company also is investing in major electric grid upgrades and expanded battery storage, and exploring zero-emitting power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2021 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “America’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.