Duke Energy boosts storm readiness with technology ahead of hurricane season

Duke Energy is preparing for the start of Hurricane Season. 

WRAL News went inside a distribution control center in Garner for a first-hand look at the tools the company uses. 

The company operates two control centers in North Carolina, where crews monitor the power grid and coordinate storm responses.

Duke Energy Spokesperson Jeff Brooks said the most power issues can be resolved remotely from these facilities, thereby reducing the need to send crews into the field.

“This facility that we’re in is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the nation, and it exists for one purpose: to deliver reliable service to our customers, and that means restoring power,” he said. 

Following the severe storms in 2024, Duke Energy has made several upgrades to strengthen its infrastructure. This includes improving power lines, upgrading poles, and investing in technology to enhance response times during outages.

One of the key tools in Duke Energy’s storm response is its self-healing technology.

“This is a lot like GPS in your car,” said Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks. “If you’re driving and it alerts you to an accident ahead, it recommends a different route. That’s what this system does for the power grid. It identifies problems and reroutes power to keep customers online.”

According to Brooks, self-healing technology can reduce the number of customers affected by an outage by as much as 75%. The system, which has been in use for approximately five years, has already proven valuable in previous storm events.

Brooks said Duke Energy is using its experiences from last year’s storms to help dictate the responses this year. 

“The lessons and experiences we had in Helene have absolutely driven improvements and opportunities to continue to make our response better,” Brooks said. “And when we think about this hurricane season, we know that eventually, we are going to see storms at the coast. We will see more storms in the mountains. So we have to be ready in every county.”

Aaron Crisasulli, a grid operator at the control center, said the atmosphere in the building during storms can be intense, and it takes a lot of teamwork to do their jobs. 

“It’s calm at times, but when storms are in the area, it gets very hectic,” he said. “It’s challenging, but when the storm passes, and you know you helped get the power back on, that’s a good feeling.”

Duke Energy continues to evolve its approach by integrating tools such as drones and satellite imaging into storm response operations, enhancing its ability to assess and respond to damage quickly.