Laura Edington | Daily Journal Brett Carter, state president-NC of Duke Energy and David McNeill, district manager of Progress Energy, presented a check on Tuesday to RCC president Dale McInnis with Thad Ussery, Co-chairman of the Forte Project Steering Committee.

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Laura Edington | Daily Journal Brett Carter, state president-NC of Duke Energy, gave a speech at the check presentation celebrating the partnership between RCC and Progress Energy.

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Laura Edington | Daily Journal Guests line up to speak with Brett Carter.

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Contributed photo Students in the Electric Utility Substation and Relay Technology program at RCC talk with Brett Carter (right) about their program and the job opportunities available to them when they graduate in May. Pictured beside Carter, from left to right, are EUSRT Instructor Steve Lampley, Engineering Technology Division Chair Amir Niczad, and RCC President Dr. Dale McInnis.

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Laura Edington

Richmond County Daily Journal

Progress Energy, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, presented a check on Tuesday for $50,000 to Richmond Community College. The check will go to support RCC’s Electric Utility Substation and Relay Technology program.

This is the second year the Electric Utility Substation and Relay Technology program has been at RCC.

“The training that students are receiving in this program is preparing them to maintain electrical substations and relay systems, which are the backbone of our national electrical grid,” said Brett Carter, state president-NC of Duke Energy.

RCC President Dale McInnis said that Carter is responsible for all operations that come from Duke Energy in the state of North Carolina.

“Dedicated and highly trained individuals are required to keep the power flowing safely and reliably. We know that the course work is challenging and rigorous, but the graduates of this program will be prepared to make a valuable contribution to electric utilities in the Carolinas and throughout our industry,” Carter said.

RCC and Duke Energy have been in a partnership for the past two years.

“When you have a partnership where you are creating the type of talent we need, that’s a perfect handshake,” Carter said.

He said the check is a measure of the continued commitment from Progress/Duke Energy to RCC and the region.

In addition to the $50,000, “Progress Energy has also donated $100,000 to the Substation Relay Technology Program and more than $450,000 worth of used equipment as an in-kind gift in support of the program,” said a press release sent by RCC.

Carter said they are wanting to have a bigger partnership and expand the relationship with RCC.

“Thanks to the partnership with Progress Energy, we have taken a great idea and transformed it into a strong program in less than two years. Based on the response from the utility industry, I am excited about our graduates’ career opportunities and am excited about the future of our relationship with Duke Energy,” McInnis said.

Presenting the check to McInnis was Carter and David McNeill, district manager of Progress Energy, along with Thad Ussery, co-chairmen of the Forte Project Steering Committee.

— Staff Writer Laura Edington can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at ledington@civitasmedia.com.