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Throughout the month of April, Duke Energy is highlighting the importance of sustainability of our state's natural assets with $375,000 in grants to organizations that manage and provide support to state and local parks, tree planting and advocacy, trail maintenance and litter prevention.

Why it matters: By educating ourselves about environmental issues and making small changes, such as reducing plastic use, recycling, conserving energy and planting trees, we can move towards understanding the impact of our actions and become more responsible stewards of the earth, ensuring that it remains a thriving, livable place for us all especially at a time of booming population growth in the state. Every effort, no matter how small, contributes to a better, cleaner world.

Where the money goes: The following qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental organizations received funding from Duke Energy Foundation (click here for additional details):

South Carolina State Parks

Foothills Trail Conservancy

Upstate Greenway Trails Alliance

Trees Upstate

City of Florence

City of Travelers Rest

City of Pickens

Town of Prosperity

Newberry County

Laurens County Trails Association

Town of Ware Shoals

Town of Iva

Waymaker Off Road Wheelchairs

Nature Conservancy

Palmetto Trail

City of York

Town of Blacksburg

Marion County

Florence County

Town of Timmonsville

Kershaw County Trails Group

Coker University Kalmia Gardens

Town of McBee

City of Sumter

Dozens of Duke Energy employees also have volunteered their time and energy in April by supporting five organized trash pickups and similar events in communities across the state.

"The natural beauty of South Carolina draws new residents and businesses to our state every year, and it's important for companies like ours to work alongside our communities to protect, enhance and promote these tremendous assets of the Palmetto State," said Tim Pearson, Duke Energy's South Carolina president.

"The Upstate has been through a lot since last fall,” said Duane Parrish, South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism executive director. “From the first responders who secured our safety after Helene and in the recent wildfires, to the partners who have stepped up afterwards to help make us whole again, we have not had to face those dark days and difficult challenges alone.”

Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work.

The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Dominion Energy (NYSE: D) on April 23, 2025, announced new responsibilities for three senior executives related to the retirement of Diane Leopold, executive vice president and chief operating officer, that are effective June 1, 2025.

As previously announced, Edward H. “Ed” Baine, president-Utility Operations and Dominion Energy Virginia, now oversees operations for the company’s utilities serving Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina; and Eric S. Carr, chief nuclear officer and president-Nuclear Operations and Contracted Energy, now has responsibility for Dominion Energy’s seven-reactor nuclear fleet and its Contracted Energy operating segment.

Carlos M. Brown, president-Dominion Energy Services, executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary, will assume oversight of the company’s Project Construction group that includes major generation and gas construction projects.

Effective June 1, he will become executive vice president, chief administrative and projects officer and corporate secretary and continue to serve as president of Dominion Energy Services.

Mark D. Mitchell, senior vice president-Project Construction, will be promoted to president-Project Construction and report to Brown.

Regina J. “Gina” Elbert, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, will become senior vice president and chief legal and human resources officer, and will be responsible for the company’s law and HR functions.

Baine, Carr, Brown, and Elbert will continue reporting to Robert M. Blue, chair, president and chief executive officer.

“These five talented leaders from Dominion Energy’s deep bench are highly experienced and capable,” said Blue. “Carlos, Ed, Eric, Gina, and Mark are following in the footsteps of an outstanding leader in our company and in our industry, and the Board of Directors and I are confident in their leadership.”

Brown joined the company in 2007 as senior counsel and served in various business, operational, and legal roles until his promotion to vice president and general counsel in 2017.

In 2019, Brown was promoted to senior vice president, general counsel, and chief compliance officer. He was promoted into his current role in 2024.

He holds bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Virginia, where he is vice rector of the Board of Visitors.

Elbert came to Dominion Energy in 2011 and has held leadership roles in HR, Governance, and the Law Department. She became an officer in 2019 in HR, was promoted to senior vice president in 2022, and was promoted into her current role in 2024.

Elbert earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from Harvard Law School.

Mitchell joined Dominion Energy in 2000 and has about four decades of utility construction experience, including nuclear, gas, coal, solar, and wind development and environmental retrofits.

He was promoted to vice president-Generation Construction in 2014 and was promoted into his current position in 2020. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Wilmington College.

Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va., provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million homes and businesses in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina. 

OneSpartanburg, Inc. on April 23, 2025, celebrated the anniversary of Re:Degree by announcing the initiative’s impact over its first year.

Re:Degree, launched in April 2024, is an initiative designed to break down barriers to degree-completion for more than 50,000 Spartanburg County residents with some college experience but no degree. 

In its first year, Re:Degree has led to:

695 individuals have begun the process to reenroll

118 individuals reenrolling in college

Nine individuals graduating with a degree

Two individuals earning certifications to advance in their career field.

Re:Degree is an initiative of OneSpartanburg, Inc., powered by Movement 2030, a sweeping plan led by the Spartanburg Academic Movement to advance economic stability and educational attainment across the county. 

“The completion of my degree has allowed for a heavy cloud to be lifted and a beautiful rainbow full of possibilities and opportunities to appear,” said Kimberly Anderson, the first student to earn a degree thanks to the Re:Degree initiative.

She added, “Without Re:Degree, I’m not sure I’d ever have the financial means, as single mom, to pay for and complete my BA in Studio Art.”

Anderson works in the special education department at Jesse Boyd Elementary School.

She earned her degree from Converse in 2024 and planned to pursue her master’s degree to become a fully-accredited art teacher.

Data used to build the OneSpartanburg Vision Plan 2.0 directly inspired Re:Degree’s creation.

A team of College Navigators, along with staff at local colleges, work with individuals to overcome barriers preventing them from earning a degree.

“If you live in Spartanburg County, there’s no better time than now to finish your educational journey,” said OneSpartanburg, Inc. President and CEO Allen Smith.

Smith added, “Thanks to the Spartanburg Academic Movement and Movement 2030, students have access to resources and support like never before. Don’t wait another day; engage with Re:Degree now.”

Anyone interested in connecting can go to www.ReDegreeSpartanburg.com and fill out an inquiry form, which will provide a snapshot of the individual so a customized plan can be crafted.

An official one-year Re:Degree celebration event will be held from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at the OneSpartanburg, Inc. office.

The national Early Childhood and Business Advisory Council (ECBAC) announced that South Carolina will join the third cohort of participating states.

The Council is a joint initiative of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to support the expansion of high-quality, affordable child care in communities across the nation.

The initiative aims to strengthen connections between the business and early childhood fields in locations where child care has been identified as a priority. 

"Child care is a family issue, a workforce issue, and an economic issue,” said Linda Smith, director of policy at the Institute. “Addressing the child care crisis requires an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach.” 

In 2019, BPC identified a gap of over 36,000 child care spaces for children under the age of five in South Carolina.

However, lack of access to affordable child care is a nationwide problem and it is among the few issues that has bipartisan support both in Washington, D.C. and in state legislatures throughout the country. 

Officials said child care is a broken business model that contributes to a significant lack of access for many families.

“The business community suffers when parents can’t find child care,” said Aaron Merchen, executive director of policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “The business community brings a vital perspective to the table, and we look forward to South Carolina joining the Council.”    

Four new states are being added to the Council this year, including New Hampshire, Georgia, Nebraska, and South Carolina.

Other states in the Council include Alaska, Montana, Arizona, Alabama, Ohio, South Dakota, North Carolina, Indiana, and Louisiana.  

Each state team is made up of key early childhood and business stakeholders.

South Carolina’s team is led by: 

* Cynthia Bennett, executive vice president and chief operation officer, South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. 

* Michele Bowers, division director, Division of Early Care and Education, South Carolina Department of Social Services. 

* Morgan Massenburg, outreach manager, Division of Early Care and Education, South Carolina Department of Social Services.