• Duke Energy Florida, Ocala Electric, SECO Energy, Orlando Utilities Commission, Siemens Energy, Gainesville Regional Utilities and the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) together hosted Youth Energy Academy summer events throughout Florida
• Youth Energy Academy empowers energy careers for minority and underserved students through two days of immersive programming

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., August 22, 2025 /CSRwire/ - This summer, the Youth Energy Academy (YEA) hosted a series of career exploration events throughout Florida, designed to expose youth to careers in electric utility industries and related STEM fields.

Duke Energy Florida, Ocala Electric, SECO Energy, Orlando Utilities Commission, Siemens Energy, Gainesville Regional Utilities and the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) worked together to host interactive activities and engaging discussions for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Students also had an opportunity to tour utility facilities to gain first-hand exposure to the energy sector.

"The energy industry is full of diverse and engaging career paths, ones that provide growth opportunities, an essential skillset and strong earning potential,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “The Youth Energy Academy is the best place for students to explore these rewarding options and discover how they can make a real impact in their community and beyond.”

YEA summer events included locations in St Petersburg at the Duke Energy Bartow Power Plant; Ocala at the Lillian Bryant Community Center, in partnership with SECO, Ocala Electric Utilities and Duke Energy Florida; Orlando and Winter Garden, in partnership with Orlando Utilities Commission, Siemens Energy and Duke Energy Florida; and Gainesville at Gainesville Regional Utilities Complex in partnership with Gainesville Regional Utilities and Duke Energy Florida.

At each of the YEA events, students participated in career workshops, virtual reality experiences, panel discussions, interactive games, and more. Some events also included specialized immersions, including live line demonstrations and generation site tours.

Students were issued a survey following each event and the majority of participants reported they were more likely to pursue a career in the energy industry following their immersion through the YEA event.

Photos from the events are available for download here.

For more information about the Youth Energy Academy program, please visit aabefl.org/youth-energy-academy.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: Laitin Sterling
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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Duke Energy

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. 

 Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage. 

 More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

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