ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (June 26, 2009) - Progress Energy Florida's Bartow power plant was rededicated today, celebrating the successful completion of a two-year, $800 million investment that changed the 50-year-old facility's primary fuel source from fuel oil to more efficient, cleaner burning natural gas.

The construction project, which began in January 2007, included the installation of a natural gas-burning, combine-cycle unit featuring four combustion turbines and one steam turbine.

The completed repower project will help provide for future energy needs in a cost-effective manner and has already delivered a number of benefits, including:

• More than doubling the plant's generating capacity, adding 800 megawatts (1,200 megawatts total generation);
• Significantly reducing emissions by more than 80 percent -- including a 98 percent reduction of sulfur dioxide emissions;
• Reducing dependence on foreign oil and improving fuel security; and
• Increasing electricity reliability due to transmission upgrades related to the repowered plant.

"I am proud of the accomplishments of the employees who brought this plant into commercial operation, on schedule, on June 1, 2009 and grateful to the dedicated workforce who were instrumental in successfully operating the Bartow plant for the last five decades," said Jeff Lyash, president and CEO Progress Energy Florida. "The Bartow repower project is a key part of our balanced solution strategy to meet energy needs with innovative and environmentally responsible solutions. This state-of-the-art power plant has less environmental impact and will safely generate reliable, affordable power for decades to come."

The associated transmission upgrades required crews to install 36 miles of state-of-the-art underground cable to connect the Bartow plant with Progress Energy's Northeast substation, where the electricity's voltage is lowered before being delivered to homes and business. This is the first time in the world this type of underground cable has been installed in such length.

The plant was originally dedicated in 1958 to the late Paul L. Bartow, who was the chief mechanical engineer and led construction programs at Progress Energy Florida's predecessor, Florida Power.

Progress Energy Florida's Paul L. Bartow power plant is located on Weedon Island in St. Petersburg.

Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit progress-energy.com.

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Media contact: Progress Energy Florida 24-hour media line - 866.520.6397
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