Duke Energy Upgrades in Lake Lure

Duke Energy is making upgrades in the Lake Lure area to help keep service more consistent and restore power faster when outages happen.

One of the biggest improvements is the ability to “backfeed” power from neighboring areas. In simple terms, this means Duke Energy can redirect electricity from other nearby areas during outages, helping prevent outages and speed up restoration times. They have also strengthened one of the local substations, essentially the hub that distributes electricity, and upgraded lines along key routes so electricity can flow more reliably.

In some areas, Duke ENergy has replaced older underground cables and installed self-healing technology that can automatically detect problems and reroute power, helping limit how many customers are affected when an outage occurs. They have also added more connection points across the system, which allows crews to isolate damage faster and restore service sooner.

Trees and vegetation are the leading cause of outages across our system. In a mountainous area like Lake Lure, heavy tree coverage — including outside Duke Energy's rights-of-way — and limited access roads make reliability more challenging. That’s why they are increasing tree trimming and vegetation management based on reliability needs, using data to target the right improvements and provide safe, reliable service to Lake Lure and surrounding communities.

Residents can help by reporting trees or concerns near power lines by calling 1-800-777-9898.