Columbia Standard

With an assist from Duke Energy, the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill will receive $25,000 in grant funds to prevent and remove water pollution and stabilize shorelines in Steele Creek.

“As a leader and trusted voice in the community, our constituents look to us to provide information and guidance on consequential, global issues that impact our daily lives,” Samantha Kowert, Anne Springs Close Greenway director of advancement, said in a Duke Energy press release. “The investment and partnership with Duke Energy around watershed cleanup initiatives and the Litter Gitter program supports our robust conservation efforts and creates opportunities to educate and engage the public.”

The funds are part of nearly $500,000 in grants that the Duke Energy Foundation has awarded to 16 organizations that will fund wildlife conservation efforts, environmental projects and educational programs across South Carolina.

“We are committed to making strategic investments to build powerful communities where nature and wildlife thrive,” Michael Callahan, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president, said in a company press release. “By supporting the organizations that do this great work, we can help protect, restore and enhance natural resources, provide valuable educational opportunities and promote access to nature for South Carolinians of all ages.”

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Duke Energy employs 27,500 people, and is one of America’s largest energy holding companies.

The company's 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.