Duke Energy Corporation is one of America's largest energy holding companies, a major U.S. utility operating in the southeastern and midwestern United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, it specializes in electric power and natural gas services, serving approximately 8.6 million electric customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, as well as 1.7 million natural gas customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Kentucky. The company owns and operates around 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity, involved in electricity generation including nuclear, coal-fired, hydroelectric, natural gas, and renewable sources, with a historical dependency on coal. It is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DUK and ranked as a Fortune 150 company, achieving its highest placement at 141st on the Fortune 500 list in 2024.

The company's history traces back over a century to the early 1900s, when it originated from the Catawba Power Company, founded by James B. Duke, Dr. W. Gill Wylie, and William States Lee to develop hydroelectric power along the Catawba River and spur industrial growth in the Carolinas. Key milestones include the merger of Duke Power with PanEnergy in 1997 to form Duke Energy, the acquisition of Cinergy Corporation in 2006 which expanded its footprint into the Midwest, and the spin-off of its natural gas business to Spectra Energy in 2007. Duke Energy has since focused on modernizing its infrastructure, investing in clean energy transitions such as renewables, energy storage, and nuclear advancements, with goals of net-zero methane emissions from natural gas by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050.

As a major utility provider, Duke Energy employs over 27,000 people and emphasizes community involvement through charitable giving and employee volunteerism. It operates subsidiaries like Duke Energy Renewable Services, which develops wind, solar, and other renewable projects, and continues to pursue strategic initiatives including grid upgrades and potential new nuclear developments to ensure reliability, affordability, and sustainability in its services.