Duke Energy's new control facility works to keep lights on during severe weather

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- There are just three days until the official start of hurricane season, and Duke Energy said its crews were ready to respond when bad weather breaks.

On Wednesday, Duke Energy took ABC11 on a tour of the new nerve center for its power-outage response.

The new distribution control center in Wake County is where repair crews get their assignments.

"Obviously, we never want to see a power outage, we never want to see a hurricane. But just like the fire department, it's our job to be ready to respond when that happens," Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said. "And so, this facility gives us new tools and capabilities that we'll be bringing to bear when we have the first storm that strikes us during hurricane season."

Brooks said the Duke Energy workers on duty at the center are ready for action in case of any emergencies.

They monitor North Carolina cities and towns that rely on the utility for power 24-7.

They also monitor any threats, cyber or physical, to the system.

And now, on the cusp of hurricane season and its high winds, the high tech available here can help Duke dispatch repair crews faster. That's especially important when minutes count during storm-related outages.

"Every time you report an outage to Duke Energy, somewhere in this room, a crew is dispatched to go respond to that outage and they monitor that," Brooks said. "When you get updates that tell you when your power is going to be restored, it's based on data from this facility that helps to tell what's going on in the system and how that power restoration is coming."

That means crews can get accurate information about needed repairs across the coverage area and respond faster with the updates coming from this Wake County hub.