Boeing Board Names Kelly Ortberg President, CEO

Duke Energy Carolinas Proposes Reduction In Annual Adjustment For Fuel Cost With PSCSC of South Carolina

Duke Energy Carolinas is seeking to reduce customer bills to account for the cost of fuel used to generate electricity for South Carolina homes and businesses.

If approved by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC), today's average monthly residential bill would decrease by 13.8 percent.

The total monthly impact of these rate changes for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month would be a decrease of $19.60, from $142.23 to $122.63.

If approved by the PSCSC, rates for commercial customers would decrease 13.8 percent and rates for industrial customers would decrease 16.2 percent.

Officials said the specific impact to individual customers will vary according to many factors including electric usage and customer profile dynamics.

If approved, the decrease to customer bills would begin in November and significantly offset the previously announced base rate increase approved by the PSCSC in July, the officials said.

The PSCSC will consider new fuel rates in a public evidentiary hearing where it will also hear the results of an extensive audit and inquiries of the parties involved in the case to ensure an accurate adjustment is made to billed rates.

Duke Energy Carolinas serves about 660,000 households and businesses primarily in the Upstate of South Carolina, including Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson counties.

The company's other South Carolina utility – Duke Energy Progress – made its annual fuel filing in April.

Duke Energy Carolinas makes a fuel cost-recovery filing annually in South Carolina.

The fuel rate is based on the projected cost of fuel used to provide electric service to the company's customers, plus a true up of the prior year's projection compared to actual costs incurred.

The PSCSC reviews fuel costs and adjusts the fuel component of customer rates accordingly.

Each year, this true-up proceeding is intended to resolve the difference between projected fuel costs, and what is actually billed to the customer.

Officials said the decrease for customer bills in this year's request is primarily driven by the decreased cost of natural gas year over year, plus a reduced true-up component since the previous fuel cost-recovery filing.

Duke Energy Carolinas makes no profit from the fuel component of rates – actual costs are passed through directly to customers.

Del Taco Continues its Southeast Surge, With Record-Breaking First-Week Sales for New Market Openings

Del Taco, the nation’s second largest Mexican quick-service restaurant by number of units, announced continued new market sales momentum with three consecutive new store openings in Port Orange, FL, Tallahassee, FL, and Chesapeake, VA with each one setting the new company record for first week sales.

The brand also continues its momentum in the Carolinas with seven new restaurant commitments announced for the Wilmington, N.C., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. markets.

This follows the brand’s three-store development agreement announced earlier this year in Greensboro, N.C,, and a previously signed commitment for the Raleigh-Durham area.

The brand plans to open its first units in the Raleigh-Durham and Greensboro markets in 2025.

“We are incredibly proud of the success of our recent store openings, each shattering previous sales benchmarks,” said Tom Rose, Del Taco Brand president.

Rose added, “This is a testament to the dedication of our team and the undeniable appeal of Del Taco to passionate customers in new markets – especially along the East Coast. We are pleased to partner with Impeccable Development. As multi-unit operators, they bring both development and operational experience to the table.”

“Impeccable Development is excited to continue the brand’s growth in the Southeast and develop Del Taco in the Wilmington and Myrtle Beach area,” said Rob Tanner, CEO of Impeccable Development. 

Founded in 1964, Del Taco serves more than three million guests each week at its nearly 600 restaurants across 17 states.

OneBlood Target of Ransomware Event; Blood Community Rallies to Help as Urgent Call for Donors Issued

OneBlood, the not-for-profit blood center serving much of the southeastern United States, was experiencing a ransomware event that is impacting its software system, officials said July 31, 2024. 

OneBlood said it was working closely with cyber security specialists, and also federal, state and local agencies as part of its comprehensive response to the situation.

“OneBlood takes the security of our network extremely seriously.  Our team reacted quickly to assess our systems and began an investigation to confirm the full nature and scope of the event.  Our comprehensive response efforts are ongoing and we are working diligently to restore full functionality to our systems as expeditiously as possible,” said Susan Forbes, OneBlood senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations.

Although OneBlood remains operational and continued to collect, test and distribute blood, it was operating at a significantly reduced capacity.

“We have implemented manual processes and procedures to remain operational. Manual processes take significantly longer to perform and impacts inventory availability. In an effort to further manage the blood supply, we have asked the more than 250 hospitals we serve to activate their critical blood shortage protocols and to remain in that status for the time being,” said Forbes.

The national blood community was rallying to assist OneBlood and the hospitals and patients it serves. Blood centers across the country are sending blood and platelets to OneBlood, and the AABB Disaster Task Force was coordinating national resources to assist with additional blood products being sent to OneBlood. 

Officials said all blood types were needed, but there was an urgent need for O Positive, O Negative and Platelet donations.

OneBlood is responsible for providing safe, available, and affordable blood to more than 250 hospital partners and their patients throughout Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.

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