Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to: state, federal and foreign legislative and regulatory initiatives, including costs of compliance with existing and future environmental requirements, as well as rulings that affect cost and investment recovery or have an impact on rate structures; the ability to recover eligible costs and earn an adequate return on investment through the regulatory process; the cost of retiring Progress Energy Florida’s Crystal River Unit the retirement of Crystal River Unit 3, including replacement power, may not be fully recoverable through the regulatory process; the ability to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers post-merger; the ability to successfully integrate the Progress Energy businesses and realize cost savings and any other synergies expected from the merger; the risk that the credit ratings of the combined company or its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect; the impact of compliance with material restrictions of conditions related to the Progress Energy merger imposed by regulators could exceed our expectations; costs and effects of legal and administrative proceedings, settlements, investigations and claims; industrial, commercial and residential growth or decline in the service territories of Duke Energy’s subsidiaries, customer base or customer usage patterns; additional competition in electric markets and continued industry consolidation; political and regulatory uncertainty in other countries in which Duke Energy conducts business; the influence of weather and other natural phenomena on the operations of Duke Energy’s subsidiaries, including the economic, operational and other effects of storms, hurricanes, droughts and tornadoes; the ability to successfully operate electricgenerating facilities and deliver electricity to customers; the ability to recover, in a timely manner, if at all, costs associated with future significant weather events through the regulatory process; the impact on Duke Energy’s facilities and business from a terrorist attack, cyber security threats and other catastrophic events; the inherent risks associated with the operation and potential construction of nuclear facilities, including environmental, health, safety, regulatory and financial risks; the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates and the ability to recover such costs through the regulatory process, where appropriate; unscheduled generation outages, unusual maintenance or repairs and electric transmission system constraints; the performance of electric generation facilities and of projects undertaken by Duke Energy’s nonregulated businesses; the results of financing efforts, including the ability of Duke Energy and its subsidiaries to obtain financing on favorable terms, which can be affected by various factors, including Duke Energy’s credit ratings and general economic conditions; declines in the market prices of equity securities and resultant cash funding requirements for Duke Energy’s defined benefit pension plans and nuclear decommissioning trust funds; the level of creditworthiness of counterparties to the transactions of Duke Energy and its subsidiaries; employee workforce factors, including the potential inability to attract and retain key personnel; growth in opportunities for Duke Energy’s business units, including the timing and success of efforts to develop domestic and international power and other projects; construction and development risks associated with the completion of the capital investment projects of Duke Energy’s subsidiaries in existing and new generation facilities, including risks related to financing, obtaining and complying with terms of permits, meeting construction budgets and schedules, and satisfying operating and environmental performance standards, as well as the ability to recover costs, from ratepayers in a timely manner or at all; the ability of Duke Energy’s subsidiaries to pay dividends or distributions to Duke Energy Corporation holding company (the Parent); the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by accounting standard-setting bodies; the impact of potential goodwill impairments; the ability to reinvest retained earnings of foreign subsidiaries or repatriate such earnings on a tax-free basis; and the ability to successfully complete future merger, acquisition or divestiture plans.