Business Growth

WELL, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN WINSTON-SALEM ARE COMING TOGETHER TO TRY TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT AN ENERGY SUBSTATION THAT COULD BE COMING TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE TOO LONG. OUR SARAH SAUER SPOKE WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT COULD VERY WELL BE IMPACTED, AND SOON. SARAH, WHAT ARE THEY TELLING YOU? KENNY. NEIGHBORS ARE CONCERNED AN EMPTY LOT AT THE CORNER OF NORTHWEST BOULEVARD AND PATTERSON AVENUE COULD BE THE FUTURE HOME OF A DUKE ENERGY FACILITY, ACCORDING TO ZONING RECORDS FROM THE CITY OF WINSTON-SALEM. A SUBSTATION IS AN ENERGY GRID THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SPLITTING VOLTAGE TO BUILDINGS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A TYPICAL TRANSMISSION SUBSTATION LOOKS LIKE FROM DUKE ENERGYS WEBSITE. DUKE ENERGYS PROPOSAL TO THE CITY PLANNING BOARD FROM JULY SHOWS A TEN FOOT BRICK WALL SURROUNDING THE PROPERTY, AND COMPANY PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THE SUBSTATION BEHIND THE FENCE WILL BE VISIBLE TO THE STREET, WITH POWER LINES COMING OUT OF IT. LIFELONG RESIDENT SHANITA JOHNSON SAYS SHES WORRIED THE SUBSTATION COULD AFFECT THE BUS STOP AND ROUTE THAT NEIGHBORS DEPEND ON, AND WONDERS IF THERE WILL BE HEALTH IMPACTS. WE DONT KNOW WHAT HEALTH HAZARDS THERE ARE. IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO KNOW. IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL FOR DUKE ENERGY TO AT LEAST GIVE US SOMETHING TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WILL BE BETTER FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE IN A MEETING JUST NOW AND TOLD A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DUKE ENERGY THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED THERE WONT BE A TREE LINE BUFFER FROM HOMES FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS THAT ARE EMITTED FROM THE PROPERTY. DUKE ENERGY SAYS THEY LOOKED AT FACTORS LIKE ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY CONCERNS AS WELL AS THE HISTORY ASPECTS OF THE PROPERTY, BUT THAT THE SITE WAS CHOSEN FOR GROWING ELECTRIC NEEDS NEARBY. THEY SAY THE PROJECT TO BUILD THE SUBSTATION WILL BE ONGOING THROUGH 2026. REPORTING