CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy customers in the Carolinas today established all-time peak energy usage records.

The unofficial Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress peak records were:

• Duke Energy Carolinas -- 21,101 megawatt-hours in the hour ending at 8 a.m. That exceeded the previous all-time peak record of 20,799 megawatt-hours set on Jan. 30, 2014.
• Duke Energy Progress -- 15,575 megawatt-hours, also in the hour ending at 8 a.m. That exceeded the previous all-time peak record of 14,519 megawatt-hours set on Jan. 8, 2015.

Pending further verification, official peak numbers will be available in near future.

During the extreme weather event, the company asked for and received conservation from commercial, industrial and residential customers, and activated its voluntary energy demand systems to help ease the stress on the power delivery system.

"While our systems performed well, the contributions of our customers and their willingness to save energy over the past two days have made a difference," said Nelson Peeler, Duke Energy vice president of transmission system operations. "I also want to thank our employees who worked tirelessly to keep our systems and plants running during this extreme weather event."

Duke Energy system operators continue to closely monitor the electric system and there is an adequate supply of electricity to meet energy demand.

For videos and additional information about how Duke Energy prepared for the extreme weather event, visit duke-energy.com, and click "Conserve is the word."

You can also receive updates from Duke Energy Twitter at www.twitter.com/DukeEnergy and www.facebook.com/DukeEnergy.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at www.duke-energy.com.

24-hour media line: 800.559.3853

Logo- http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130322/CL81938LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-carolinas-customers-set-new-all-time-peak-records-for-energy-use-300039167.html

SOURCE Duke Energy