Form 8-K - Current report

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 5, 2024

Duke Energy Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware

001-32853

20-2777218

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

525 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-1803

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, including Zip Code)

(704) 382-3853

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Registrant	Title of each class:	Trading Symbol(s):	Name of each exchange on which registered:
Duke Energy Corporation	Common Stock, $0.001 par value	DUK	New York Stock Exchange LLC
Duke Energy Corporation	5.625% Junior Subordinated Debentures due September 15, 2078	DUKB	New York Stock Exchange LLC
Duke Energy Corporation	Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.75% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, par value $0.001 per share	DUK PR A	New York Stock Exchange LLC

Duke Energy Corporation	3.10% Senior Notes due 2028	DUK 28A	New York Stock Exchange LLC

Duke Energy Corporation	3.85% Senior Notes due 2034	DUK34	New York Stock Exchange LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Item 8.01. Other Events.

On January 5, 2024, Duke Energy Corporation (the “Company”) consummated the issuance and sale of the securities described below pursuant to an underwriting agreement, dated January 2, 2024 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), with Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, TD Securities (USA) LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Underwriters $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027 and $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029 (collectively, the “Securities”). The Securities were sold to the Underwriters at discounts to their principal amounts. The Securities were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2008 (the “Indenture”), by and between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended and supplemented by various supplemental indentures thereto, including the Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 5, 2024 (the “Supplemental Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee. The disclosure in this Item 8.01 is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of the Indenture, the Supplemental Indenture, together with the forms of global notes evidencing the Securities included therein, which is filed as Exhibit 4.1 hereto, and the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 99.1 hereto. Such exhibits are incorporated herein by reference. Also, in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Company is filing a legal opinion regarding the validity of the Securities as Exhibit 5.1 to this Form 8-K for the purpose of incorporating such opinion into the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, No. 333-267583.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)

Exhibits.

4.1	Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 5, 2024, to the Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2008, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee, and forms of global notes included therein

5.1	Opinion of Robert T. Lucas III regarding validity of the Securities

23.1	Consent of Robert T. Lucas III (included as part of Exhibit 5.1)

99.1	Underwriting Agreement, dated January 2, 2024, among the Company and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, TD Securities (USA) LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein

104	Cover Page Interactive Data file (the Cover Page Interactive Data file is embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION
Date: January 5, 2024
	By:	/s/ Robert T. Lucas III
		Name:	Robert T. Lucas III
		Title:	Assistant Corporate Secretary

Exhibit 4.1

DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

Trustee

Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture
Dated as of January 5, 2024

$550,000,000 4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2027

$550,000,000 4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2029

TABLE OF CONTENTS¹

ARTICLE I

4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2027

Section 1.01.	Establishment	1
Section 1.02.	Definitions	2
Section 1.03.	Payment of Principal and Interest	3
Section 1.04.	Denominations	4
Section 1.05.	Global Securities	4
Section 1.06.	Redemption	4
Section 1.07.	Paying Agent and Security Registrar	5

ARTICLE II

4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2029

Section 2.01.	Establishment	5
Section 2.02.	Definitions	5
Section 2.03.	Payment of Principal and Interest	7
Section 2.04.	Denominations	8
Section 2.05.	Global Securities	8
Section 2.06.	Redemption	8
Section 2.07.	Paying Agent and Security Registrar	9

ARTICLE III

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 3.01.	Recitals by the Corporation	9
Section 3.02.	Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture	9
Section 3.03.	Instructions to Trustee	9
Section 3.04.	Executed in Counterparts; Electronic Signatures	10

Exhibit A – Form of 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027

Exhibit B – Certificate of Authentication

Exhibit C – Form of 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029

Exhibit D – Certificate of Authentication

¹This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture or have any bearing upon the interpretation of any of its terms and provisions.

THIS THIRTY-FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE is made as of the 5th day of January, 2024, by and among DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, having its principal office at 525 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-1803 (the “Corporation”), and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.), a national banking association, as Trustee (herein called the “Trustee”).

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the Corporation has heretofore entered into an Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2008 (the “Original Indenture”), with The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee;

WHEREAS, the Original Indenture is incorporated herein by this reference and the Original Indenture, as it may be amended and supplemented to the date hereof, including by this Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture, is herein called the “Indenture”;

WHEREAS, under the Indenture, a new series of Securities may at any time be established in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and the terms of such series may be described by a supplemental indenture executed by the Corporation and the Trustee;

WHEREAS, the Corporation hereby proposes to create under the Indenture two additional series of Securities;

WHEREAS, additional Securities of other series hereafter established, except as may be limited in the Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified, may be issued from time to time pursuant to the Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified; and

WHEREAS, all conditions necessary to authorize the execution and delivery of this Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture and to make it a valid and binding obligation of the Corporation have been done or performed.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2027

Section 1.01.    Establishment. There is hereby established a new series of Securities to be issued under the Indenture, to be designated as the Corporation’s 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”).

There are to be authenticated and delivered initially $550,000,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes, and no further 2027 Notes shall be authenticated and delivered except as provided by Section 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1106 of the Original Indenture and the last paragraph of Section 301 thereof. The 2027 Notes shall be issued in fully registered form without coupons.

The 2027 Notes shall be in substantially the form set out in Exhibit A hereto, and the form of the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication for the 2027 Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

Each 2027 Note shall be dated the date of authentication thereof and shall bear interest from the date of original issuance thereof or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for.

Section 1.02.    Definitions. The following defined terms used in this Article I shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meanings specified below for purposes of the 2027 Notes. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Original Indenture.

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday that is neither a Legal Holiday nor a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close, or a day on which the Corporate Trust Office is closed for business.

“Interest Payment Date” means each January 5 and July 5 of each year, commencing on July 5, 2024.

“Legal Holiday” means any day that is a legal holiday in New York, New York.

“Original Issue Date” means January 5, 2024.

“Regular Record Date” means, with respect to each Interest Payment Date, the close of business on (i) the Business Day immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date so long as all of the 2027 Notes remain in book-entry only form or (ii) the 15th calendar day next preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day) if any of the 2027 Notes do not remain in book-entry only form.

“Stated Maturity” means January 5, 2027.

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Corporation in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

The Treasury Rate shall be determined by the Corporation after 4:15 p.m., New York City time (or after such time as yields on U.S. government securities are posted daily by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date based upon the yield or yields for the most recent day that appear after such time on such day in the most recent statistical release published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System designated as “Selected Interest Rates (Daily)—H.15” (or any successor designation or publication) (“H.15”) under the caption “U.S. government securities—Treasury constant maturities — Nominal” (or any successor caption or heading) (“H.15 TCM”). In determining the Treasury Rate, the Corporation shall select, as applicable:

the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the maturity date of the 2027 Notes (the “Remaining Life”); or

if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields—one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life—and shall interpolate to the maturity date of the 2027 Notes on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or

if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 shorter than or longer than the Remaining Life, the yield for the single Treasury constant maturity on H.15 closest to the Remaining Life. For purposes of this clause, the applicable Treasury constant maturity or maturities on H.15 shall be deemed to have a maturity date equal to the relevant number of months or years, as applicable, of such Treasury constant maturity from the Redemption Date.

If on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Corporation shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day preceding such Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the maturity date of the 2027 Notes. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, one with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the 2027 Notes and one with a maturity date following the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, the Corporation shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the 2027 Notes. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Corporation shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

The Corporation’s actions and determinations in determining the redemption price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty whatsoever to determine, or to verify our calculations of, the redemption price.

Section 1.03.    Payment of Principal and Interest. The principal of the 2027 Notes shall be due at Stated Maturity (unless earlier redeemed). The unpaid principal amount of the 2027 Notes shall bear interest at the rate of 4.850% per annum until paid or duly provided for, such interest to accrue from January 5, 2024 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for. Interest shall be paid semi-annually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date to the Person or Persons in whose name the 2027 Notes are registered on the applicable Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date; provided that interest payable at the Stated Maturity or on a Redemption Date as provided herein shall be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holders on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person or Persons in whose name the 2027 Notes are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee (“Special Record Date”), notice whereof shall be given to Holders of the 2027 Notes not less than ten (10) days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the 2027 Notes may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Original Indenture.

Payments of interest on the 2027 Notes shall include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for the 2027 Notes shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on the 2027 Notes is not a Business Day, then payment of the interest payable on such date shall be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or payment in respect of any such delay) with the same force and effect as if made on the date the payment was originally payable.

Payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the 2027 Notes shall be made in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on 2027 Notes represented by a Global Security shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Holder of such Global Security. If any of the 2027 Notes are no longer represented by a Global Security, (i) payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest due at the Stated Maturity or earlier redemption of such 2027 Notes shall be made at the office of the Paying Agent upon surrender of such 2027 Notes to the Paying Agent and (ii) payments of interest shall be made, at the option of the Corporation, subject to such surrender where applicable, by (A) check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (B) wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.

Section 1.04.    Denominations. The 2027 Notes shall be issued in denominations of $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.

Section 1.05.   Global Securities. The 2027 Notes shall initially be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities registered in the name of the Depositary (which initially shall be The Depository Trust Company) or its nominee. Except under the limited circumstances described below, 2027 Notes represented by such Global Security or Global Securities shall not be exchangeable for, and shall not otherwise be issuable as, 2027 Notes in definitive form. The Global Securities described in this Article I may not be transferred except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or its nominee.

A Global Security representing the 2027 Notes shall be exchangeable for 2027 Notes registered in the names of persons other than the Depositary or its nominee only if (i) the Depositary notifies the Corporation that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for such Global Security and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Corporation within 90 days of receipt by the Corporation of such notification, or if at any time the Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when the Depositary is required to be so registered to act as such Depositary and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Corporation within 90 days after it becomes aware of such cessation, (ii) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to the 2027 Notes and beneficial owners of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Notes represented by Global Securities advise the Depositary to cease acting as Depositary, or (iii) the Corporation in its sole discretion, and subject to the procedures of the Depositary, determines that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for 2027 Notes registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct.

Section 1.06.    Redemption. The Corporation may redeem the 2027 Notes, at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at the option of the Corporation, on any date (a “Redemption Date”), at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of: (i)(a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date; and (ii) 100% of the principal amount of the 2027 Notes to be redeemed, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

On or after the date of redemption, interest will cease to accrue on the 2027 Notes or portion of the 2027 Notes redeemed. However, interest will continue to accrue if the Corporation defaults in the payment of the amount due upon redemption.

Notice of redemption to each Holder of the 2027 Notes shall be mailed (or, as long as the Notes of this series are represented by one or more Book-Entry Debt Securities, transmitted in accordance with the Depository’s standard procedures therefor) by the Corporation, or, at the Corporation’s request, by the Trustee, in the manner provided in Section 1104 of the Original Indenture, at least ten (10) and not more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for redemption.

The Corporation shall notify the Trustee of the redemption price with respect to any redemption of the 2027 Notes occurring before the maturity date of the 2027 Notes promptly after the calculation thereof. The Trustee shall not be responsible for calculating said redemption price.

If less than all of the 2027 Notes are to be redeemed, the 2027 Notes or portions of 2027 Notes to be redeemed in amounts of $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof shall be selected for redemption in accordance with the standard procedures of the Depositary.

The 2027 Notes shall not have a sinking fund.

Section 1.07.    Paying Agent and Security Registrar. The Trustee shall initially serve as Paying Agent with respect to the 2027 Notes, with the Place of Payment initially being the Corporate Trust Office.

ARTICLE II

4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2029

Section 2.01.    Establishment. There is hereby established a new series of Securities to be issued under the Indenture, to be designated as the Corporation’s 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “2029 Notes”).

There are to be authenticated and delivered initially $550,000,000 principal amount of the 2029 Notes, and no further 2029 Notes shall be authenticated and delivered except as provided by Section 304, 305, 306, 906 or 1106 of the Original Indenture and the last paragraph of Section 301 thereof. The 2029 Notes shall be issued in fully registered form without coupons.

The 2029 Notes shall be in substantially the form set out in Exhibit C hereto, and the form of the Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication for the 2029 Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit D hereto.

Each 2029 Note shall be dated the date of authentication thereof and shall bear interest from the date of original issuance thereof or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for.

Section 2.02.   Definitions. The following defined terms used in this Article II shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meanings specified below for purposes of the 2029 Notes. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Original Indenture.

“Interest Payment Date” means each January 5 and July 5 of each year, commencing on July 5, 2024.

“Legal Holiday” means any day that is a legal holiday in New York, New York.

“Original Issue Date” means January 5, 2024.

“Regular Record Date” means, with respect to each Interest Payment Date, the close of business on (i) the Business Day immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date so long as all of the 2029 Notes remain in book-entry only form or (ii) the 15th calendar day next preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day) if any of the 2029 Notes do not remain in book-entry only form.

“Stated Maturity” means January 5, 2029.

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the yield determined by the Corporation in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the Par Call Date (as defined below) (the “Remaining Life”); or

if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields—one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life—and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or

If on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Corporation shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day preceding such Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the Par Call Date. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date, but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the Par Call Date, one with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date and one with a maturity date following the Par Call Date, the Corporation shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the Par Call Date, or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Corporation shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

The Corporation’s actions and determinations in determining the redemption price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty whatsoever to determine, or to verify our calculations of, the redemption price.

Section 2.03.    Payment of Principal and Interest. The principal of the 2029 Notes shall be due at Stated Maturity (unless earlier redeemed). The unpaid principal amount of the 2029 Notes shall bear interest at the rate of 4.850% per annum until paid or duly provided for, such interest to accrue from January 5, 2024 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for. Interest shall be paid semi-annually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date to the Person or Persons in whose name the 2029 Notes are registered on the applicable Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date; provided that interest payable at the Stated Maturity or on a Redemption Date as provided herein shall be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holders on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person or Persons in whose name the 2029 Notes are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee (“Special Record Date”), notice whereof shall be given to Holders of the 2029 Notes not less than ten (10) days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the 2029 Notes may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Original Indenture.

Payments of interest on the 2029 Notes shall include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for the 2029 Notes shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on the 2029 Notes is not a Business Day, then payment of the interest payable on such date shall be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or payment in respect of any such delay) with the same force and effect as if made on the date the payment was originally payable.

Payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the 2029 Notes shall be made in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on 2029 Notes represented by a Global Security shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Holder of such Global Security. If any of the 2029 Notes are no longer represented by a Global Security, (i) payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest due at the Stated Maturity or earlier redemption of such 2029 Notes shall be made at the office of the Paying Agent upon surrender of such 2029 Notes to the Paying Agent and (ii) payments of interest shall be made, at the option of the Corporation, subject to such surrender where applicable, by (A) check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (B) wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.

Section 2.04.    Denominations. The 2029 Notes shall be issued in denominations of $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.

Section 2.05.   Global Securities. The 2029 Notes shall initially be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities registered in the name of the Depositary (which initially shall be The Depository Trust Company) or its nominee. Except under the limited circumstances described below, 2029 Notes represented by such Global Security or Global Securities shall not be exchangeable for, and shall not otherwise be issuable as, 2029 Notes in definitive form. The Global Securities described in this Article II may not be transferred except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or its nominee.

A Global Security representing the 2029 Notes shall be exchangeable for 2029 Notes registered in the names of persons other than the Depositary or its nominee only if (i) the Depositary notifies the Corporation that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for such Global Security and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Corporation within 90 days of receipt by the Corporation of such notification, or if at any time the Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when the Depositary is required to be so registered to act as such Depositary and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Corporation within 90 days after it becomes aware of such cessation, (ii) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to the 2029 Notes and beneficial owners of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the 2029 Notes represented by Global Securities advise the Depositary to cease acting as Depositary, or (iii) the Corporation in its sole discretion, and subject to the procedures of the Depositary, determines that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for 2029 Notes registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct.

Section 2.06.    Redemption. The Corporation may redeem the 2029 Notes prior to December 5, 2028 (the “Par Call Date”), at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at the option of the Corporation, on any date (a “Redemption Date”), at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of: (i)(a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the 2029 Notes matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date; and (ii) 100% of the principal amount of the 2029 Notes to be redeemed, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

On or after the Par Call Date, the Corporation may redeem the 2029 Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2029 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, installments of interest on the 2029 Notes that are due and payable on an Interest Payment Date falling on or prior to a Redemption Date shall be payable on such Interest Payment Date to the Holders as of the close of business on the relevant Record Date.

On or after the date of redemption, interest will cease to accrue on the 2029 Notes or portion of the 2029 Notes redeemed. However, interest will continue to accrue if the Corporation defaults in the payment of the amount due upon redemption.

Notice of redemption to each Holder of the 2029 Notes shall be mailed (or, as long as the Notes of this series are represented by one or more Book-Entry Debt Securities, transmitted in accordance with the Depository’s standard procedures therefor) by the Corporation, or, at the Corporation’s request, by the Trustee, in the manner provided in Section 1104 of the Original Indenture, at least ten (10) and not more than sixty (60) days prior to the date fixed for redemption.

The Corporation shall notify the Trustee of the redemption price with respect to any redemption of the 2029 Notes occurring before the Par Call Date promptly after the calculation thereof. The Trustee shall not be responsible for calculating said redemption price.

If less than all of the 2029 Notes are to be redeemed, the 2029 Notes or portions of 2029 Notes to be redeemed in amounts of $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof shall be selected for redemption in accordance with the standard procedures of the Depositary.

The 2029 Notes shall not have a sinking fund.

Section 2.07.   Paying Agent and Security Registrar. The Trustee shall initially serve as Paying Agent with respect to the 2029 Notes, with the Place of Payment initially being the Corporate Trust Office.

ARTICLE III

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 3.01.    Recitals by the Corporation. The recitals in this Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture are made by the Corporation only and not by the Trustee, and all of the provisions contained in the Original Indenture in respect of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers and duties of the Trustee shall be applicable in respect of the 2027 Notes, the 2029 Notes and this Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture as fully and with like effect as if set forth herein in full.

Section 3.02.    Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture. As supplemented hereby, the Original Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and the Original Indenture and this Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument.

Section 3.03.  Instructions to Trustee. The Trustee shall have the right to accept and act upon instructions, including funds transfer instructions (“Instructions”) given pursuant to this Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture and delivered using Electronic Means; provided, however, that the Corporation shall provide to the Trustee an incumbency certificate listing officers with the authority to provide such Instructions (“Authorized Officers”) and containing specimen signatures of such Authorized Officers, which incumbency certificate shall be amended by the Corporation whenever a person is to be added or deleted from the listing. If the Corporation elects to give the Trustee Instructions using Electronic Means and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such Instructions, the Trustee’s understanding of such Instructions shall be deemed controlling. The Corporation understands and agrees that the Trustee cannot determine the identity of the actual sender of such Instructions and that the Trustee shall conclusively presume that directions that purport to have been sent by an Authorized Officer listed on the incumbency certificate provided to the Trustee have been sent by such Authorized Officer. The Corporation shall be responsible for ensuring that only Authorized Officers transmit such Instructions to the Corporate Trustee and that the Corporation and all Authorized Officers are solely responsible to safeguard the use and confidentiality of applicable user and authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys upon receipt by the Corporation. The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s good faith reliance upon and compliance with such Instructions notwithstanding such directions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction. The Corporation agrees: (i) to assume all risks arising out of the use of Electronic Means to submit Instructions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized Instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties; (ii) that it is fully informed of the protections and risks associated with the various methods of transmitting Instructions to the Trustee and that there may be more secure methods of transmitting Instructions than the method(s) selected by the Corporation; (iii) that the security procedures (if any) to be followed in connection with its transmission of Instructions provide to it a commercially reasonable degree of protection in light of its particular needs and circumstances; and (iv) to notify the Trustee as soon as reasonably practicable upon learning of any compromise or unauthorized use of the security procedures. “Electronic Means” shall mean the following communications methods: e-mail, facsimile trans-mission, secure electronic transmission containing applicable authorization codes, passwords and/or authentication keys issued by the Trustee, or another method or system specified by the Trustee as available for use in connection with its services hereunder.

Section 3.04.   Executed in Counterparts; Electronic Signatures. This Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument. The words “execution,” signed,” signature,” and words of like import in the Indenture shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile, email or other electronic format (including, without limitation, “pdf,” “tif” or “jpg”) and other electronic signatures (including without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign). The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code. Without limitation to the foregoing, and anything in the Original Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) any Officers’ Certificate, Company Order, Opinion of Counsel, Security, certificate of authentication appearing on or attached to any Security, supplemental indenture or other certificate, opinion of counsel, instrument, agreement or other document delivered pursuant to the Indenture may be executed, attested and transmitted by any of the foregoing electronic means and formats, (b) all references in Section 303 or elsewhere in the Original Indenture to the execution, attestation or authentication of any Security or any certificate of authentication appearing on or attached to any Security by means of a manual or facsimile signature shall be deemed to include signatures that are made or transmitted by any of the foregoing electronic means or formats, and (c) any requirement in Section 303 or elsewhere in the Original Indenture that any signature be made under a corporate seal (or facsimile thereof) shall not be applicable to the Securities of such series.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused this instrument to be signed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized officer, all as of the day and year first above written.

	Duke Energy Corporation

	By:	/s/ Chris R. Bauer

	Name:	Chris R. Bauer
	Title:	Assistant Treasurer


	The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee

	By:	/s/ Ann M. Dolezal
	Name:	Ann M. Dolezal
	Title:	Vice President

[Signature Page to Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture]

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF

4.850% SENIOR NOTE DUE 2027

No.	CUSIP No. 26441C CB9

DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION

4.850% SENIOR NOTE DUE 2027

Principal Amount: $

Regular Record Date: [Close of business on the business day immediately preceding such Interest Payment Date so long as all of the Securities (as defined herein) of this series remain in book-entry only form] [Close of business on the 15^th calendar day next preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day) if any of the Securities (as defined herein) of this series do not remain in book-entry only form]

Original Issue Date: January 5, 2024

Stated Maturity: January 5, 2027

Interest Payment Dates: Semi-annually on January 5 and July 5 of each year, commencing on July 5, 2024

Interest Rate: 4.850% per annum

Authorized Denomination: $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof

Duke Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises   to  pay   to                , or registered assigns, the principal sum of                            DOLLARS ($            ) on the Stated Maturity shown above and to pay interest thereon from the Original Issue Date shown above, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date as specified above, commencing on July 5, 2024 and on the Stated Maturity at the rate per annum shown above until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment and at such rate on any overdue principal and on any overdue installment of interest. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date that is the Stated Maturity or a Redemption Date) will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this 4.850% Senior Note due 2027 (this “Security”) is registered on the applicable Regular Record Date as specified above next preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided that any interest payable at Stated Maturity or on a Redemption Date will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Securities shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.

A-1

Payments of interest on this Security will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for this Security shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months and will accrue from January 5, 2024 or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on this Security is not a Business Day, then payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or payment in respect of any such delay) with the same force and effect as if made on the date the payment was originally payable. “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday that is neither a Legal Holiday nor a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close, or a day on which the Corporate Trust Office is closed for business. “Legal Holiday” means any day that is a legal holiday in New York, New York.

Payment of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of this series shall be made in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Securities of this series represented by a Global Security shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the Holder of such Global Security. If any of the Securities of this series are no longer represented by a Global Security, (i) payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest due at the Stated Maturity or earlier redemption of such Securities shall be made at the office of the Paying Agent upon surrender of such Securities to the Paying Agent, and (ii) payments of interest shall be made, at the option of the Corporation, subject to such surrender where applicable, by (A) check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (B) wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.

The Corporation may redeem this Security, in whole or in part and from time to time, at the option of the Corporation, on any date (a “Redemption Date”), at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of (i) (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date; and (ii) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed, plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

For purposes of the preceding paragraph, the following terms have the following meanings:

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date for the Securities, the yield determined by the Corporation in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the maturity date of the 2027 Notes (the “Remaining Life”); or

A-2

if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields—one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life—and shall interpolate to the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or

If on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Corporation shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day preceding such Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the maturity date of the 2027 Notes. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the maturity date of the 2027 Notes but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, one with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the 2027 Notes and one with a maturity date following the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, the Corporation shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the maturity date of the 2027 Notes. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the maturity date of the 2027 Notes, or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Corporation shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

The Corporation’s actions and determinations in determining the redemption price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty whatsoever to determine, or to verify our calculations of, the redemption price.

The Corporation shall notify the Trustee of the redemption price with respect to any redemption of the Securities of this series occurring before the maturity date of the 2027 Notes promptly after the calculation thereof. The Trustee shall not be responsible for calculating said redemption price.

Notice of any redemption by the Corporation will be mailed (or, as long as the Securities of this series are represented by one or more Global Securities, transmitted in accordance with the Depositary’s standard procedures therefor) at least 10 days but not more than 60 days before any Redemption Date to each Holder of Securities of this series to be redeemed. If Notice of a redemption is provided and funds are deposited as required, interest will cease to accrue on and after the Redemption Date on the Securities of this series or portions of Securities of this series called for redemption. In the event that any Redemption Date is not a Business Day, the Corporation will pay the redemption price on the next Business Day without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay. If less than all the Securities of this series are to be redeemed at the option of the Corporation, the Securities of this series and portions of the Securities of this series in amounts of $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof shall be selected for redemption in accordance with the standard procedures of the Depositary.

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In the event of redemption of this Security in part only, a new Security or Securities of this series and of like tenor for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.

The Securities of this series shall not have a sinking fund.

The Securities of this series shall constitute the direct unsecured and unsubordinated debt obligations of the Corporation and shall rank equally in priority with the Corporation’s existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.

REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS SECURITY SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH AT THIS PLACE.

Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual, facsimile or electronic signature, this Security shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.

A-4

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this instrument to be duly executed as of January 5, 2024.

	Duke Energy Corporation

	By:
	Name:
	Title:

A-5

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated: January 5, 2024	The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee

	By:
		Authorized Signatory

A-6

(Reverse Side of Security)

This 4.850% Senior Note due 2027 is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Corporation (the “Securities”), issued and issuable in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2008, as supplemented (the “Indenture”), between the Corporation and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.), as Trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitation of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Corporation, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities issued thereunder and of the terms upon which said Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof as 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027 initially in the aggregate principal amount of $550,000,000. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Indenture.

If an Event of Default with respect to the Securities of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Securities of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture.

The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Corporation and the rights of the Holders of the Securities of all series affected under the Indenture at any time by the Corporation and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series affected thereby (voting as one class). The Indenture contains provisions permitting the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series with respect to which a default under the Indenture shall have occurred and be continuing (voting as one class), on behalf of the Holders of the Securities of all such series, to waive, with certain exceptions, such default under the Indenture and its consequences. The Indenture also permits the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Securities of such series, to waive compliance by the Corporation with certain provisions of the Indenture affecting such series. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Security shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Security and of any Security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Security.

No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Security or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Corporation, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Security at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.

As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Security is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Security for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Corporation for such purpose, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Corporation and the Security Registrar and duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing and thereupon one or more new Securities of this series, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Corporation may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

The Indenture contains provisions for defeasance at any time of the entire indebtedness of the Securities of this series and for covenant defeasance at any time of certain covenants in the Indenture upon compliance with certain conditions set forth in the Indenture.

A-7

Prior to due presentment of this Security for registration of transfer, the Corporation, the Trustee and any agent of the Corporation or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Security is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Security be overdue, and neither the Corporation, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

The Securities of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to the limitations therein set forth, Securities of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Securities of this series of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same upon surrender of the Security or Securities to be exchanged at the office or agency of the Corporation.

This Security shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

A-8

ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM — as tenants in common	UNIF GIFT MIN ACT -	______Custodian ______  (Cust)                    (Minor)

TEN ENT — as tenants by the entireties

JT TEN — as joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as tenants in common		under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act

		(State)

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not on the above list.

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s) and transfer(s) unto (please insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee)

PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE

the within Security and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing agent to transfer said Security on the books of the Corporation, with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated:
				NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument in every particular without alteration or enlargement, or any change whatever.

				Signature Guarantee:

A-9

SIGNATURE GUARANTEE

Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Security Registrar, which requirements include membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be determined by the Security Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

A-10

EXHIBIT B

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:	The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee

	By:
	Authorized Signatory

B-1

EXHIBIT C

FORM OF

4.850% SENIOR NOTE DUE 2029

No.	CUSIP No. 26441C CC7

DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION

4.850% SENIOR NOTE DUE 2029

Principal Amount: $

Original Issue Date: January 5, 2024

Stated Maturity: January 5, 2029

Interest Payment Dates: Semi-annually on January 5 and July 5 of each year, commencing on July 5, 2024

Interest Rate: 4.850% per annum

Authorized Denomination: $2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof

Duke Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”, which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to , or registered assigns, the principal sum of DOLLARS ($ ) on the Stated Maturity shown above and to pay interest thereon from the Original Issue Date shown above, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semi-annually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date as specified above, commencing on July 5, 2024 and on the Stated Maturity at the rate per annum shown above until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment and at such rate on any overdue principal and on any overdue installment of interest. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date that is the Stated Maturity or a Redemption Date) will, as provided in the Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this 4.850% Senior Note due 2029 (this “Security”) is registered on the applicable Regular Record Date as specified above next preceding such Interest Payment Date; provided that any interest payable at Stated Maturity or on a Redemption Date will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Security is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Securities of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Securities shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.

C-1

The Corporation may redeem this Security prior to December 5, 2028 (the “Par Call Date”), in whole or in part and from time to time, at the option of the Corporation, on any date (a “Redemption Date”), at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of (i) (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the Redemption Date (assuming the Securities matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the Redemption Date; and (ii) 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed, plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

On or after the Par Call Date, the Corporation may redeem the Securities of this series, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at the option of the Corporation, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Securities to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the Redemption Date.

For purposes of the preceding paragraph, the following terms have the following meanings:

“Treasury Rate” means, with respect to any Redemption Date for the Securities, the yield determined by the Corporation in accordance with the following two paragraphs.

C-2

•

the yield for the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the period from the Redemption Date to the Par Call Date (the “Remaining Life”); or

•

if there is no such Treasury constant maturity on H.15 exactly equal to the Remaining Life, the two yields—one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately shorter than and one yield corresponding to the Treasury constant maturity on H.15 immediately longer than the Remaining Life—and shall interpolate to the Par Call Date, on a straight-line basis (using the actual number of days) using such yields and rounding the result to three decimal places; or

•

If on the third business day preceding the Redemption Date H.15 TCM is no longer published, the Corporation shall calculate the Treasury Rate based on the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second business day preceding such Redemption Date of the United States Treasury security maturing on, or with a maturity that is closest to, the Par Call Date. If there is no United States Treasury security maturing on the Par Call Date but there are two or more United States Treasury securities with a maturity date equally distant from the Par Call Date, one with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date and one with a maturity date following the Par Call Date, the Corporation shall select the United States Treasury security with a maturity date preceding the Par Call Date. If there are two or more United States Treasury securities maturing on the Par Call Date, or two or more United States Treasury securities meeting the criteria of the preceding sentence, the Corporation shall select from among these two or more United States Treasury securities the United States Treasury security that is trading closest to par based upon the average of the bid and asked prices for such United States Treasury securities at 11:00 a.m., New York City time. In determining the Treasury Rate in accordance with the terms of this paragraph, the semi-annual yield to maturity of the applicable United States Treasury security shall be based upon the average of the bid and asked prices (expressed as a percentage of principal amount) at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, of such United States Treasury security, and rounded to three decimal places.

The Corporation’s actions and determinations in determining the redemption price shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

The Trustee shall have no obligation or duty whatsoever to determine, or to verify our calculations of, the redemption price.

The Corporation shall notify the Trustee of the redemption price with respect to any redemption of the Securities of this series occurring before the Par Call Date promptly after the calculation thereof. The Trustee shall not be responsible for calculating said redemption price.

C-3

The Securities of this series shall not have a sinking fund.

C-4

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this instrument to be duly executed as of January 5, 2024.

	Duke Energy Corporation

	By:
	Name:
	Title:

C-5

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated: January 5, 2024	The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee

	By:
		Authorized Signatory

C-6

(Reverse Side of Security)

This 4.850% Senior Note due 2029 is one of a duly authorized issue of Securities of the Corporation (the “Securities”), issued and issuable in one or more series under an Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2008, as supplemented (the “Indenture”), between the Corporation and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.), as Trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitation of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Corporation, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities issued thereunder and of the terms upon which said Securities are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Security is one of the series designated on the face hereof as 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029 initially in the aggregate principal amount of $550,000,000. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Indenture.

C-7

This Security shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

C-8

ABBREVIATIONS

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:

TEN COM — as tenants in common	UNIF GIFT MIN ACT -	______Custodian ______  (Cust)     (Minor)

TEN ENT — as tenants by the entireties


JT TEN — as joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as tenants in common		under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act ____________________
		(State)

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not on the above list.

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s) and transfer(s) unto (please insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee)

PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE

Dated:
				NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument in every particular without alteration or enlargement, or any change whatever.

				Signature Guarantee:

C-9

SIGNATURE GUARANTEE

C-10

EXHIBIT D

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

Dated:	The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee

	By:
		Authorized Signatory

D-1

Exhibit 5.1

DUKE ENERGY BUSINESS SERVICES LLC

525 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-1803
January 5, 2024

Duke Energy Corporation

525 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28202-1803

Re:

Duke Energy Corporation
$550,000,000 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027
$550,000,000 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029

To the Addressee:

I am Deputy General Counsel of Duke Energy Business Services LLC, the service company subsidiary of Duke Energy Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and in such capacity I have acted as counsel to the Company in connection with the public offering of $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027 and $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029 (collectively, the “Securities”). The Securities are being issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2008 (the “Original Indenture”), by and between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended and supplemented by various supplemental indentures thereto, including the Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 5, 2024 (the “Supplemental Indenture”), between the Company and the Trustee (the Original Indenture, as amended and supplemented, being referred to as the “Indenture”). On January 2, 2024, the Company entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, TD Securities (USA) LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), relating to the sale by the Company to the Underwriters of the Securities.

This opinion letter is being delivered in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

I am a member of the bar of the State of North Carolina and my opinions set forth herein are limited to Delaware corporate law and the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States that, in my experience, are normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated above and, to the extent that judicial or regulatory orders or decrees or consents, approvals, licenses, authorizations, validations, filings, recordings or registrations with governmental authorities are relevant, to those required under such laws (all of the foregoing being referred to as “Opined on Law”). I do not express any opinion with respect to the law of any jurisdiction other than Opined on Law or as to the effect of any such non-opined law on the opinions herein stated. This opinion letter is limited to the laws, including the rules and regulations, as in effect on the date hereof, which laws are subject to change with possible retroactive effect.

In rendering the opinions set forth herein, I or attorneys under my supervision (with whom I have consulted) have examined and are familiar with originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of:

(a)           the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267583) of the Company relating to the Securities and other securities of the Company filed on September 23, 2022 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act, allowing for delayed offerings pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act and the information deemed to be a part of such registration statement as of the date hereof pursuant to Rule 430B of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act (the “Rules and Regulations”) (such registration statement, effective upon filing with the Commission on September 23, 2022 pursuant to Rule 462(e) of the Rules and Regulations, being hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”);

(b)           the prospectus, dated September 23, 2022 (the “Base Prospectus”) relating to the offering of securities of the Company, which forms a part of and is included in the Registration Statement in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;

(c)           the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated January 2, 2024, and the Base Prospectus, relating to the offering of the Securities in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;

(d)           the prospectus supplement, dated January 2, 2024, and the Base Prospectus, relating to the offering of the Securities in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;

(e)           the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, effective as of May 19, 2014 and as amended on September 11, 2019, as certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware;

(f)            the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Company, effective as of December 14, 2023;

(g)           an executed copy of the Original Indenture;

(h)           an executed copy of the Supplemental Indenture;

(i)            an executed copy of the Underwriting Agreement;

(j)            the certificates representing the Securities of each series;

(k)           the issuer free writing prospectus issued at or prior to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on January 2, 2024 which the Company was advised is the time of the first contract of sale of the Securities, substantially in the form attached as Schedule C to the Underwriting Agreement and as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act and Section 5(e) of the Underwriting Agreement;

(l)            the Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, on Form T-1, of the Trustee;

(m)          resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company, adopted on May 5, 2022, relating to the preparation and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement and the issuance of the Company’s securities; and

(n)           the written consent of the Assistant Treasurer of the Company, effective as of January 2, 2024.

I or attorneys under my supervision (with whom I have consulted) have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates and receipts of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents as I or attorneys under my supervision (with whom I have consulted) have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinions set forth below.

In my examination, I or attorneys under my supervision (with whom I have consulted) have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to me as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to me as facsimile, electronic, certified, conformed, or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such documents. In making my examination of executed documents or documents to be executed, I have assumed that the parties thereto, other than the Company had or will have the power, corporate or otherwise, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and the execution and delivery by such parties of such documents, and, as to parties other than the Company, the validity and binding effect on such parties. As to any facts material to this opinion letter that I or attorneys under my supervision (with whom I have consulted) did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon oral or written statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others and of public officials.

The opinions set forth below are subject to the following further qualifications, assumptions and limitations:

(i)            the validity or enforcement of any agreements or instruments may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and

(ii)           I do not express any opinion as to the applicability or effect of any fraudulent transfer, preference or similar law on any agreements or instruments or any transactions contemplated thereby.

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the limitations, qualifications, exceptions and assumptions set forth herein, I am of the opinion that the Securities have been duly authorized and executed by the Company, and that when duly authenticated by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, the Securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter with the Commission as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement through incorporation by reference of a current report on Form 8-K. I also hereby consent to the use of my name under the heading “Legal Matters” in the prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, I do not thereby admit that I am within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder. This opinion letter is expressed as of the date hereof unless otherwise expressly stated, and I disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes in the facts stated or assumed herein or of any subsequent changes in applicable laws.

	Very truly yours,

	/s/ Robert T. Lucas III
	Robert T. Lucas III, Esq.

Exhibit 99.1

DUKE ENERGY Corporation

$550,000,000 4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2027

$550,000,000 4.850% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2029

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

January 2, 2024

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

TD Securities (USA) LLC

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o	Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
	550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor
	Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Ladies and Gentlemen:

1.            Introductory. DUKE ENERGY Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell (i) $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”) and (ii) $550,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “2029 Notes ” and, together with the 2027 Notes, the “Notes”) to be issued pursuant to the provisions of an Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2008, (the “Original Indenture”) as supplemented from time to time by supplemental indentures, including the Thirty-first Supplemental Indenture, to be dated as of January 5, 2024 (the “Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Original Indenture, the “Indenture”), between the Corporation and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the “Trustee”). Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, TD Securities (USA) LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (together with the Representatives, the “Underwriters”). The Corporation understands that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Notes for sale upon the terms and conditions contemplated by (i) this Agreement and (ii) the Base Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (each as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below) (the documents referred to in the foregoing subclause (ii) are referred to herein as the “Pricing Disclosure Package”).

2.              Representations and Warranties of the Corporation. The Corporation represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:

(a)            A registration statement (No. 333-267583), including a prospectus, relating to the Notes and certain other securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Such registration statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to you, became effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”), and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (if prepared, any preliminary prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Notes immediately prior to the Applicable Time included in such registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations being hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”); the term “Registration Statement” means the registration statement as deemed revised pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(1) of the 1933 Act Regulations on the date of such registration statement’s effectiveness for purposes of Section 11 of the 1933 Act, as such section applies to the Corporation and the Underwriters for the Notes pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations (the “Effective Date”), including all exhibits thereto and including the documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement at the time such part of the Registration Statement became effective; the term “Base Prospectus” means the prospectus filed with the Commission on the date hereof by the Corporation; and the term “Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus together with the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Notes prepared in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and promptly filed after execution and delivery of this Agreement pursuant to Rule 430B or Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations; any information included in such Prospectus that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be a part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information;” and any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, prior to the date hereof; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Corporation filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Applicable Time” means 4:05 p.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof.

(b)            The Registration Statement, the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus specified on Schedule B hereto, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus conform, and any amendments or supplements thereto will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations; and (A) the Registration Statement, as of its original effective date and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations, and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 3), did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and (B) (i) the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not, (ii) the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of their dates, will not, and (iii) the Prospectus as of the Closing Date will not, include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the Corporation makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriters with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Corporation by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for use in the Registration Statement, the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus.

(c)            The Permitted Free Writing Prospectus specified on Schedule B hereto as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Notes or until any earlier date that the Corporation notified or notifies the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicts with the information (not superseded or modified as of the Effective Date) contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus.

(d)            At the earliest time the Corporation or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Notes, the Corporation was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations. The Corporation is, and was at the time of the initial filing of the Registration Statement, eligible to use Form S-3 under the 1933 Act.

(e)            The documents and interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language (“XBRL”) incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time they were filed or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, (a) at the time the Registration Statement became effective, (b) at the Applicable Time and (c) on the Closing Date did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(f)             The compliance by the Corporation with all of the provisions of this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Corporation or any of its Principal Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) is a party or by which any of them or their respective property is bound or to which any of their properties or assets is subject that would have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the amended and restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), the amended and restated By-Laws of the Corporation (the “By-Laws”) or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Corporation or its Principal Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that would have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Corporation and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation by the Corporation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the approval of the North Carolina Utilities Commission which has been received as of the date of this Agreement, the registration under the 1933 Act of the Notes, qualification under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “1939 Act”) and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Notes by the Underwriters.

(g)            This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Corporation.

(h)            Each of Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company, Progress Energy, Inc., a North Carolina corporation, Duke Energy Progress, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company, and Duke Energy Florida, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, is a “significant subsidiary” of the Corporation within the meaning of Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the 1933 Act (herein collectively referred to, along with Duke Energy Ohio, Inc., an Ohio corporation and Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc., a North Carolina corporation, as the “Principal Subsidiaries”).

(i)             The Original Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Corporation and duly qualified under the 1939 Act and the Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized and when executed and delivered by the Corporation and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, the Indenture will constitute a valid and legally binding instrument of the Corporation enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

(j)             The Notes have been duly authorized and when executed by the Corporation and when authenticated by the Trustee, in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Corporation, enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with their terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, and are entitled to the benefits afforded by the Indenture in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and the Notes, except as set forth in paragraph (i) above.

(k)            Any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Corporation for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 or any subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of the Corporation or any Current Report on Form 8-K of the Corporation with an execution or a filing date after December 31, 2022, except to the extent that such agreement is no longer in effect or to the extent that neither the Corporation nor any subsidiary of the Corporation is currently a party to such agreement, are all indentures, mortgages, deeds of trust, loan agreements or other agreements or instruments that are material to the Corporation.

(l)             The Corporation is not required to be qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business in Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Florida.

(m)           Any pro forma financial statements of the Corporation and its subsidiaries and the related notes thereto incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein.

3.              Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Notes. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Corporation agrees to sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Corporation, at a purchase price of (i) 99.639% of the principal amount of the 2027 Notes plus accrued interest, if any, from January 5, 2024 (and in the manner set forth below) and (ii) 99.281% of the principal amount of the 2029 Notes plus accrued interest, if any, from January 5, 2024 (and in the manner set forth below), the respective principal amounts of Notes set forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule A hereto plus the respective principal amounts of additional Notes which each such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 8 hereof. The Underwriters hereby agree to make a payment to the Corporation in an aggregate amount equal to $1,787,500, including in respect of expenses incurred by the Corporation in connection with the offering of the Notes.

 Payment of the respective purchase prices for the Notes to be purchased by the Underwriters and the payment referred to above shall be made to the Corporation by wire transfer of immediately available funds, payable to the order of the Corporation against delivery of the Notes, in fully registered forms, to you or upon your order at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on January 5, 2024 or such other time and date as shall be mutually agreed upon in writing by the Corporation and the Representatives (the “Closing Date”). The 2027 Notes and the 2029 Notes shall each be delivered in the form of one or more global certificates in aggregate denominations equal to the aggregate principal amount of the respective 2027 Notes and 2029 Notes upon original issuance and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). All other documents referred to herein that are to be delivered at the Closing Date shall be delivered at that time at the offices of Sidley Austin llp, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019.

4.              Offering by the Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Notes for sale to the public as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

5.              Covenants of the Corporation. The Corporation covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:

(a)             The Corporation will cause the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus to be filed pursuant to, and in compliance with, Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations, and advise the Underwriters promptly of the filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus and of the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of the Registration Statement, and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and to obtain as soon as possible its lifting, if issued.

(b)            If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Notes (or the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the 1933 Act Regulations) is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act any event occurs as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus to comply with the 1933 Act, the Corporation promptly will prepare and file with the Commission an amendment, a supplement or an appropriate document pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act which will correct such statement or omission or which will effect such compliance.

(c)            The Corporation, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Notes is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will timely file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act.

(d)            Without the prior consent of the Underwriters, the Corporation has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations, other than the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Corporation, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations, other than the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or a free writing prospectus that is not required to be filed by the Corporation pursuant to Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”); any such free writing prospectus (which shall include the pricing term sheet referred to in Section 5(e) below), the use of which has been consented to by the Corporation and the Underwriters, is specified on Item 3 of Schedule B and herein is called the “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Corporation represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.

(e)            The Corporation agrees to prepare a pricing term sheet specifying the terms of the Notes not contained in the Preliminary Prospectus, substantially in the form of Schedule C hereto and approved by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, and to file such pricing term sheet as an “issuer free writing prospectus” pursuant to Rule 433 prior to the close of business two business days after the date hereof.

(f)             The Corporation agrees that if at any time following the issuance of the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus any event occurs as a result of which such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information (not superseded or modified as of the Effective Date) in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Corporation will give prompt notice thereof to the Underwriters and, if requested by the Underwriters, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter a free writing prospectus or other document, the use of which has been consented to by the Underwriters, which will correct such conflict, statement or omission.

(g)            The Corporation will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(h)            The Corporation will furnish to you, without charge, copies of the Registration Statement (four of which will include all exhibits other than those incorporated by reference), the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

(i)             The Corporation will arrange or cooperate in arrangements, if necessary, for the qualification of the Notes for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as you designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution; provided, however, that the Corporation shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file any general consents to service of process under the laws of any state where it is not now so subject.

(j)             The Corporation will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement including (i) the printing and filing of the Registration Statement and the printing of this Agreement and any Blue Sky Survey, (ii) the preparation and printing of certificates for the Notes, (iii) the issuance and delivery of the Notes as specified herein, (iv) the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the qualification of the Notes under the securities laws of any jurisdiction in accordance with the provisions of Section 5(i) and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey, such fees not to exceed $7,500, (v) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters, in quantities as hereinabove referred to, of copies of the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto, of the Preliminary Prospectus, of the Prospectus, of the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) any fees charged by independent rating agencies for rating the Notes, (vii) any fees and expenses in connection with the listing of the Notes on the New York Stock Exchange LLC, (viii) any filing fee required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., (ix) the costs of any depository arrangements for the Notes with DTC or any successor depositary and (x) the costs and expenses of the Corporation relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Notes, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Corporation, travel and lodging expenses of the Underwriters and officers of the Corporation and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show; provided, however, the Underwriters shall reimburse a portion of the costs and expenses referred to in this clause (x).

6.              Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Notes will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Corporation herein, to the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Corporation made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Corporation of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

(a)            The Prospectus shall have been filed by the Corporation with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for filing by the 1933 Act Regulations and in accordance herewith and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus shall have been filed by the Corporation with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by, and otherwise in compliance with, Rule 433.

(b)            At or after the Applicable Time and prior to the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Corporation or you, shall be threatened by the Commission.

(c)            At or after the Applicable Time and prior to the Closing Date, the rating assigned by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or S&P Global Ratings (or any of their successors) to any debt securities or preferred stock of the Corporation as of the date of this Agreement shall not have been lowered.

(d)            Since the respective most recent dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and up to the Closing Date, there shall not have been any material adverse change in the condition of the Corporation, financial or otherwise, except as reflected in or contemplated by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and, since such dates and up to the Closing Date, there shall not have been any material transaction entered into by the Corporation other than transactions contemplated by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and transactions in the ordinary course of business, the effect of which in your reasonable judgment is so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(e)            You shall have received an opinion of Robert T. Lucas III, Esq., Deputy General Counsel of Duke Energy Business Services LLC, the service company subsidiary of the Corporation (who in such capacity provides legal services to the Corporation), or other appropriate counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives (which may include the Corporation’s other “in-house” counsel), dated the Closing Date, to the effect that:

(i)             Each of Duke Energy Ohio, Inc., Progress Energy, Inc. and Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc., has been duly incorporated and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has the respective corporate power and authority and foreign qualifications necessary to own its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC and Duke Energy Progress, LLC has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing as a limited liability company under the laws of the State of North Carolina, the State of Florida, the State of Indiana and the State of North Carolina, respectively, and has full limited liability company power and authority necessary to own its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(ii)            Each of the Corporation and the Principal Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business in each jurisdiction in which the ownership or leasing of its property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify, considering all such cases in the aggregate, does not have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition or results of operations of the Corporation and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

(iii)           The Registration Statement became effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462 of the 1933 Act Regulations, and, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened under the 1933 Act.

(iv)           The descriptions in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of any legal or governmental proceedings are accurate and fairly present the information required to be shown, and such counsel does not know of any litigation or any legal or governmental proceeding instituted or threatened against the Corporation or any of its Principal Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that would be required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and is not so disclosed.

(v)            This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Corporation.

(vi)           The execution, delivery and performance by the Corporation of this Agreement and the Indenture and the issue and sale of the Notes will not violate or contravene any of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Corporation or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of which such counsel is aware of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Corporation or any of its Principal Subsidiaries or any of their respective property, nor will such action conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the Corporation or any of its Principal Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or their respective property is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject, which affects in a material way the Corporation’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes.

(vii)          The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Corporation and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Corporation, enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with its terms.

(viii)         The Notes have been duly authorized, executed and issued by the Corporation and, when authenticated by the Trustee, in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Corporation enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with their terms, and are entitled to the benefits afforded by the Indenture in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and the Notes.

(ix)            No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification is required to authorize, or for the Corporation to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Notes by the Underwriters and except as required in Condition No. 7.6 of the order of the North Carolina Utilities Commission dated September 29, 2016, in Docket Nos. E-7, Sub 1100, E-2, Sub 1095, and G-9, Sub 682, which condition has been complied with.

 Such counsel may state that such counsel’s opinions in paragraphs (vii) and (viii) above are subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, and by general principles of equity (whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Such counsel shall state that nothing has come to such counsel’s attention that has caused such counsel to believe that each document incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when filed, was not, on its face, appropriately responsive, in all material respects, to the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations. Such counsel shall also state that nothing has come to such counsel’s attention that has caused such counsel to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, as of the effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Pricing Disclosure Package at the Applicable Time contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) that the Prospectus, as of its date or at the Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Such counsel may also state that, except as otherwise expressly provided in such opinion, such counsel does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and does not express any opinion or belief as to (i) the financial statements or other financial and accounting data contained or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom, including with respect to compliance with XBRL interactive data requirements, (ii) the statement of the eligibility and qualification of the Trustee included in the Registration Statement (the “Form T-1”) or (iii) the information in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Book-Entry System.”

 In rendering the foregoing opinion, such counsel may state that such counsel does not express any opinion concerning any law other than the law of the State of North Carolina or, to the extent set forth in the foregoing opinions, the federal securities laws and may rely as to all matters of the laws of the States of South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana and Florida on appropriate counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, which may include the Corporation’s other “in-house” counsel). Such counsel may also state that such counsel has relied as to certain factual matters on information obtained from public officials, officers of the Corporation and other sources believed by such counsel to be reliable.

(f)             You shall have received an opinion of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, counsel to the Corporation, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that:

(i)             The Corporation has been duly incorporated and is a validly existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

(ii)            The Corporation has the corporate power and corporate authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Supplemental Indenture and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.

(iii)           This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Corporation.

(iv)           The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Corporation and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, is a valid and binding agreement of the Corporation, enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with its terms.

(v)            The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Corporation, and, when duly authenticated by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Corporation against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Indenture, the Notes will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Corporation, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with their terms.

(vi)           The statements set forth (i) under the caption “Description of Debt Securities” (other than under the caption “Global Securities”) that are included in the Base Prospectus and (ii) under the caption “Description of the Notes” in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain provisions of the Indenture and the Notes, fairly summarize such provisions in all material respects.

(vii)          The statements set forth under the caption “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders,” in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to constitute summaries of matters of United States federal income tax law, constitute accurate and complete summaries, in all material respects, subject to the qualifications set forth therein.

(viii)         No Governmental Approval, which has not been obtained or taken and is not in full force and effect, is required to authorize, or is required for, the execution or delivery of this Agreement and the Indenture by the Corporation or the consummation by the Corporation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Notes by the Underwriters. “Governmental Approval” means any consent, approval, license, authorization or validation of, or filing, qualification or registration with, any Governmental Authority required to be made or obtained by the Corporation pursuant to Applicable Laws, other than any consent, approval, license, authorization, validation, filing, qualification or registration that may have become applicable as a result of the involvement of any party (other than the Corporation) in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or because of such parties’ legal or regulatory status or because of any other facts specifically pertaining to such parties and “Governmental Authority” means any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or governmental body of the State of North Carolina, the State of New York or the State of Delaware or the United States of America having jurisdiction over the Corporation under Applicable Law but excluding the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the New York State Public Service Commission and the Delaware Public Service Commission.

(ix)            The Corporation is not and, solely after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be subject to registration and regulation as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(x)             The execution and delivery by the Corporation of this Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation by the Corporation of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the issuance and sale of the Notes, will not (i) conflict with the Certificate of Incorporation or the By-Laws, (ii) constitute a violation of, or a breach of or default under, the terms of any of the contracts set forth on Schedule D hereto or (iii) violate or conflict with, or result in any contravention of, any Applicable Law of the State of New York or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Such counsel shall state that it does not express any opinion, however, as to whether the execution, delivery or performance by the Corporation of this Agreement or the Indenture will constitute a violation of, or a default under, any covenant, restriction or provision with respect to financial ratios or tests or any aspect of the financial condition or results or operations of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries. “Applicable Law” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and those laws, rules and regulations of the States of New York and North Carolina and those federal laws, rules and regulations of the United States of America, in each case that, in such counsel’s experience, are normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by this Agreement (other than the United States federal securities laws, state securities or Blue Sky laws, antifraud laws and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., the North Carolina Public Utilities Act, the rules and regulations of the North Carolina Utilities Commission and the New York State Public Service Commission and the New York State Public Service Law), but without such counsel having made any special investigation as to the applicability of any specific law, rule or regulation.

(xi)            The statements set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest),” insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain provisions of this Agreement, fairly summarize such provisions in all material respects.

 You shall also have received a statement of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that:

 (i) no facts have come to such counsel’s attention that have caused such counsel to believe that the documents filed by the Corporation under the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations that are incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement that forms a part of the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when filed, were not, on their face, appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations (except that in each case such counsel need not express any view with respect to the financial statements, schedules and other financial and accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom including, with respect to compliance with XBRL interactive data requirements), (ii) no facts have come to such counsel’s attention that have caused such counsel to believe that each of the Registration Statement, at the Applicable Time, and the Prospectus, as of its date, appeared on its face, not to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations (except that in each case such counsel need not express any view with respect to the financial statements, schedules and other financial and accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom, including with respect to compliance with XBRL interactive data requirements, or that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the statement of eligibility on the Form T-1) and (iii) no facts have come to such counsel’s attention that have caused such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement, at the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus, as of its date and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that in each case such counsel need not express any view with respect to the financial statements, schedules and other financial and accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom, or with respect to compliance with XBRL interactive data requirements, or that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the statement of eligibility on the Form T-1). Such counsel shall further state that, in addition, no facts have come to such counsel’s attention that have caused such counsel to believe that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that such counsel need not express any view with respect to the financial statements, schedules and other financial and accounting information included or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom, including with respect to compliance with XBRL interactive data requirements).

 In addition, such statement shall confirm that the Prospectus has been filed with the Commission within the time period required by Rule 424 of the 1933 Act Regulations and any required filing of the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations has been filed with the Commission within the time period required by Rule 433(d) of the 1933 Act Regulations. Such statement shall further state that assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Corporation set forth in Section 2(d) of this Agreement, the Registration Statement became effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462 of the 1933 Act Regulations and, pursuant to Section 309 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “1939 Act”), the Indenture has been qualified under the 1939 Act, and that based solely on such counsel’s review of the Commission’s website, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and, to such counsel’s knowledge, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened by the Commission.

 Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP may state that its opinions in paragraphs (v) and (vi) are subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). In addition, such counsel may state that it has relied as to certain factual matters on information obtained from public officials, officers and representatives of the Corporation and that the signatures on all documents examined by them are genuine, assumptions which such counsel have not independently verified.

(g)            You shall have received a letter from Sidley Austin llp, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such opinions and statements as you may reasonably request, and the Corporation shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as it requests for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon such matters.

(h)            At or after the Applicable Time, there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally or of the securities of the Corporation, on the New York Stock Exchange LLC; or (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking services or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; or (iii) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, if the effect of any such event specified in this subsection (h) in your reasonable judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. In such event there shall be no liability on the part of any party to any other party except as otherwise provided in Section 7 hereof and except for the expenses to be borne by the Corporation as provided in Section 5(j) hereof.

(i)             You shall have received a certificate of the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary and any financial or accounting officer of the Corporation, dated the Closing Date, in which such officers, to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, shall state that the representations and warranties of the Corporation in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date, that the Corporation has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date, that the conditions specified in Section 6(c) and Section 6(d) have been satisfied, and that no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are threatened by the Commission.

(j)             At the time of the execution of this Agreement, you shall have received a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to you, from Deloitte & Touche LLP, the Corporation’s independent registered public accounting firm, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including specific references to inquiries regarding any increase in long-term debt (excluding current maturities), decrease in net current assets (defined as current assets less current liabilities) or shareholders’ equity, change in the Corporation’s common stock, and decrease in operating revenues or net income for the period subsequent to the latest financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement when compared with the corresponding period from the preceding year, as of a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of this Agreement.

(k)            At the Closing Date, you shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, a letter dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that it reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (j) of this Section 6, except that the specified date referred to shall be not more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.

 The Corporation will furnish you with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as you reasonably request.

7.              Indemnification. (a) The Corporation agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, their respective officers and directors, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, as follows:

(i)             against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) including the Rule 430B Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, unless such statement or omission or such alleged statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Corporation by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus;

(ii)            against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Corporation; and

(iii)            against any and all expense whatsoever reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) of this Section 7(a).

In no case shall the Corporation be liable under this indemnity agreement with respect to any claim made against any Underwriter or any such controlling person unless the Corporation shall be notified in writing of the nature of the claim within a reasonable time after the assertion thereof, but failure so to notify the Corporation shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than under Sections 7(a) and 7(d). The Corporation shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense, or, if it so elects, within a reasonable time after receipt of such notice, to assume the defense of any suit, but if it so elects to assume the defense, such defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and approved by the Underwriter or Underwriters or controlling person or persons, or defendant or defendants in any suit so brought, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. In any such suit, any Underwriter or any such controlling person shall have the right to employ its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person unless (i) the Corporation and such Underwriter shall have mutually agreed to the employment of such counsel, or (ii) the named parties to any such action (including any impleaded parties) include both such Underwriter or such controlling person and the Corporation and such Underwriter or such controlling person shall have been advised by such counsel that a conflict of interest between the Corporation and such Underwriter or such controlling person may arise and for this reason it is not desirable for the same counsel to represent both the indemnifying party and also the indemnified party (it being understood, however, that the Corporation shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys for all such Underwriters and all such controlling persons, which firm shall be designated in writing by you). The Corporation agrees to notify you within a reasonable time of the assertion of any claim against it, any of its officers or directors or any person who controls the Corporation within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, in connection with the sale of the Notes.

(b)            Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation, its directors and each of the officers of the Corporation who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Corporation within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act to the same extent as the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section 7, but only with respect to statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Corporation by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. In case any action shall be brought against the Corporation or any person so indemnified based on the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter, such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to the Corporation, and the Corporation and each person so indemnified shall have the rights and duties given to the Underwriters, by the provisions of subsection (a) of this Section 7.

(c)            No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d)            If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (or actions in respect thereof) that would otherwise have been indemnified under the terms of such indemnity, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Corporation on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Notes. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Corporation on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Corporation on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Corporation bear to the total compensation received by the Underwriters in respect of the underwriting discount as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Corporation on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Corporation and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

8.            Default by One or More of the Underwriters. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the principal amount of the 2027 Notes or the 2029 Notes, as applicable, which it has agreed to purchase hereunder on the Closing Date, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase any or all of the 2027 Notes and/or 2029 Notes, as applicable, on the terms contained herein. If within twenty-four hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Notes, then the Corporation shall be entitled to a further period of twenty-four hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Notes on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Corporation that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Notes, or the Corporation notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Notes, you or the Corporation shall have the right to postpone such Closing Date for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Corporation agrees to file promptly any amendments to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus which may be required. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Notes.

(b)            If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Notes of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you or the Corporation as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate amount of such Notes which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-tenth of the aggregate amount of all the Notes to be purchased at such Closing Date, then the Corporation shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the amounts of Notes which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Closing Date and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the amounts of Notes which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Notes of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

(c)            If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Notes of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you or the Corporation as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate amount of such Notes which remains unpurchased exceeds one-tenth of the aggregate amount of all the Notes to be purchased at such Closing Date, or if the Corporation shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase the Notes of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Corporation, except for the expenses to be borne by the Corporation as provided in Section 5(j) hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreement in Section 7 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

9.            Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Corporation or its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Corporation, or any of their respective officers or directors or any controlling person referred to in Section 7 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Notes.

10.            Reliance on Your Acts. In all dealings hereunder, the Representatives shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the Corporation shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by the Representatives.

11.            No Fiduciary Relationship. The Corporation acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Corporation on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Corporation or its shareholders, creditors, employees, or any other party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Corporation with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Corporation on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Corporation with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Corporation, and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transaction contemplated hereby and the Corporation has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

12.            Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

(i)

In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity (as defined below) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime (as defined below), the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

(ii)

In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate (as defined below) of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights (as defined below) under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

As used in this Section 12:

“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

“Covered Entity” means any of the following:

(i)

a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

(ii)

a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

(iii)

a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

13.            Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed or telecopied and confirmed to Citigroup Global Markets Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, Attention: General Counsel, Facsimile: (646) 291-1469; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Facsimile: (212) 507-8999; TD Securities (USA) LLC, 1 Vanderbilt Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, New York 10017, Email: USTransactionAdvisory@tdsecurities.com, Attention: Transaction Advisory; U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., 214 N. Tyron Street, 26th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate; Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attn: Transaction Management, Email: tmgcapitalmarkets@wellsfargo.com, Facsimile: (212) 214-5918; or, if sent to the Corporation, will be mailed or telecopied and confirmed to it at 525 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, (Telephone: (704) 382-5826), attention of Assistant Treasurer. Any such communications shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

14.            Business Day. As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

15.            Successors. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Corporation and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 7 and their respective successors, heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained; this Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof being intended to be and being for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and said controlling persons, officers and directors and their respective successors, heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Notes from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

16.            Counterparts; Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which when taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in this Agreement or in any other certificate, agreement or document related to this Agreement, the Indenture or the Notes shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile or other electronic format (including, without limitation, “pdf”, “tif” or “jpg”) and other electronic signatures (including, without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign). The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code.

17.            Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, kindly sign and return to us two counterparts hereof, and upon confirmation and acceptance by the Underwriters, this Agreement and such confirmation and acceptance will become a binding agreement between the Corporation, on the one hand, and each of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in accordance with its terms.


	Very truly yours,

	Duke Energy Corporation

	By:	/s/Chris R. Bauer
		Name: Chris R. Bauer
		Title: Assistant Treasurer

[Remainder of page left blank intentionally]

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

The foregoing Agreement is hereby
confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
TD Securities (USA) LLC
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

On behalf of each of the Underwriters

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.		Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

By:	/s/Adam D. Bordner	By:	/s/James Curley
	Name: Adam D. Bordner		Name: James Curley
	Title: Managing Director		Title: Vice President

TD Securities (USA) LLC		U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

By:	/s/Luiz Lanfredi	By:	/s/Brent Kreissl
	Name: Luiz Lanfredi		Name: Brent Kreissl
	Title: Director		Title: Managing Director

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

By:	/s/Carolyn Hurley
	Name: Carolyn Hurley
	Title: Managing Director

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

SCHEDULE A

Underwriter	Principal Amount of 2027 Notes		Principal Amount of 2029 Notes
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.	$	96,250,000	$	96,250,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC		96,250,000		96,250,000
TD Securities (USA) LLC		96,250,000		96,250,000
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.		96,250,000		96,250,000
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC		96,250,000		96,250,000
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.		19,250,000		19,250,000
Regions Securities LLC		19,250,000		19,250,000
Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC		19,250,000		19,250,000
Cabrera Capital Markets LLC		5,500,000		5,500,000
Samuel A. Ramirez & Company, Inc.		5,500,000		5,500,000
Total	$	550,000,000	$	550,000,000

A-1

SCHEDULE B

PRICING DISCLOSURE PACKAGE

1)            Base Prospectus

2)            Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated January 2, 2024

3)            Permitted Free Writing Prospectus 

a)            Pricing Term Sheet attached as Schedule C hereto

B-1

SCHEDULE C

Filed pursuant to Rule 433 

January 2, 2024 

Relating to 

Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated January 2, 2024 

Prospectus dated September 23, 2022 

Registration Statement No. 333-267583

Duke Energy Corporation 

$550,000,000 4.850% Senior Notes due 2027
$550,000,000 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029

Pricing Term Sheet

Issuer:	Duke Energy Corporation (the “Issuer”)
Trade Date:	January 2, 2024
Settlement Date:	January 5, 2024 (T+3)
Security Description:	4.850% Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”) 4.850% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “2029 Notes” and, together with the 2027 Notes, the “Notes”)
Principal Amount:	2027 Notes: $550,000,000 2029 Notes: $550,000,000
Interest Payment Dates:	Payable semi-annually in arrears on January 5 and July 5 of each year, beginning on July 5, 2024.
Maturity Date:	2027 Notes: January 5, 2027 2029 Notes: January 5, 2029
Benchmark Treasury:	2027 Notes: 4.375% due December 15, 2026 2029 Notes: 3.750% due December 31, 2028
Benchmark Treasury Yield:	2027 Notes: 4.104% 2029 Notes: 3.927%
Spread to Benchmark Treasury:	2027 Notes: +75 bps 2029 Notes: +95 bps
Yield to Maturity:	2027 Notes: 4.854% 2029 Notes: 4.877%
Coupon:	2027 Notes: 4.850% 2029 Notes: 4.850%

C-1

Price to the Public:

2027 Notes: 99.989% per 2027 Note (plus accrued interest, if any, from January 5, 2024)
2029 Notes: 99.881% per 2029 Note (plus accrued interest, if any, from January 5, 2024)

Redemption Provisions:

2027 Notes: The Issuer may redeem the 2027 Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:

• (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate applicable to the 2027 Notes plus 15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the redemption date; and

• 100% of the principal amount of the 2027 Notes to be redeemed,

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date.

2029 Notes: Prior to December 5, 2028 (the date that is one month prior to the maturity date of the 2029 Notes (the “2029 Par Call Date”)), the Issuer may redeem the 2029 Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of:

• (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date (assuming the 2029 Notes matured on the 2029 Par Call Date) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate applicable to the 2029 Notes plus 15 basis points less (b) interest accrued to the redemption date; and

• 100% of the principal amount of the 2029 Notes to be redeemed,

plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date.

On or after the 2029 Par Call Date, the Issuer may redeem the 2029 Notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2029 Notes to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date. 

C-2 

Denominations:	$2,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof
CUSIP / ISIN:	2027 Notes: 26441C CB9 / US26441CCB90 2029 Notes: 26441C CC7 / US26441CCC73
Joint Book-Running Managers:	Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC TD Securities (USA) LLC U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
Co-Managers:	KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. Regions Securities LLC Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC Cabrera Capital Markets LLC Samuel A. Ramirez & Company, Inc.

The Issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Citigroup Global Markets Inc. toll-free at 1 (800) 831-9146; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at 1 (866) 718-1649; TD Securities (USA) LLC toll-free at 1 (855) 495-9846; U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. toll-free at 1 (877) 558-2607 and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC toll-free at 1 (800) 645-3751.

ANY DISCLAIMER OR OTHER NOTICE THAT MAY APPEAR BELOW IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMER OR NOTICE WAS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT BY BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER EMAIL SYSTEM.

C-3 

Schedule D

Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 18, 2022, among Duke Energy Corporation, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Ohio, Inc., Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, Duke Energy Kentucky, Inc., Duke Energy Progress, LLC, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, and Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc., the Lenders party thereto, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent and Swingline Lender and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as Joint Lead Arranger, Joint Bookrunner and Sustainability Structuring Agent.

Amendment No. 1, dated as of March 17, 2023, to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 18, 2022.

Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2022, among the Duke Energy Corporation, as Borrower, certain Lenders from time to time parties thereto, and The Bank of Nova Scotia as Administrative Agent and Coordinating Lead Arranger.

Lender Waiver Letter, dated as of March 29, 2023, to Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of March 18, 2022.

C-4 

Cover	Jan. 05, 2024
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jan. 05, 2024
Entity File Number	001-32853
Entity Registrant Name	Duke Energy Corporation
Entity Central Index Key	0001326160
Entity Tax Identification Number	20-2777218
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Address, Address Line One	525 South Tryon Street
Entity Address, City or Town	Charlotte
Entity Address, State or Province	NC
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	28202-1803
City Area Code	704
Local Phone Number	382-3853
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Common Stock [Member]
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, $0.001 par value
Trading Symbol	DUK
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Junior Subordinated Debentures 5.625% Coupon Due September 2078 [Member]
Title of 12(b) Security	5.625% Junior Subordinated Debentures due September 15, 2078
Trading Symbol	DUKB
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Depositary Share [Member]
Title of 12(b) Security	Depositary Shares
Trading Symbol	DUK PR A
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
3.10% Senior Notes due 2028 [Member]
Title of 12(b) Security	3.10% Senior Notes due 2028
Trading Symbol	DUK 28A
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
3.85% Senior Notes due 2034 [Member]
Title of 12(b) Security	3.85% Senior Notes due 2034
Trading Symbol	DUK34
Security Exchange Name	NYSE