DJSI recognizes leadership in economic, environmental and social issues

RALEIGH, N.C. (Sept. 8, 2011) -- For the seventh year in a row, Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN) has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, which lists companies that lead their industries in managing economic, environmental and social issues.

Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) tracks the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. In selecting the top performers in each business sector, DJSI reviewed companies on several general and industry-specific topics, including corporate governance, environmental policy, climate strategy, employee development and labor practices. For more information on DJSI, please visit www.sustainability-indexes.com.

“Our communities are changing continuously,” said Bill Johnson, chairman, president and CEO of Progress Energy. “We remain focused on serving these communities, where our employees live and work, and we are investing significantly in making the power system on which millions of people depend progressively cleaner, smarter and more secure. We are proud to be recognized as a leader in implementing business strategies that grow our company and protect the environment.”

Progress Energy is in the middle of a significant plant-modernization initiative, including the retirement of 30 percent of the company’s N.C.-based coal-fired generation fleet, construction of new natural gas-fueled plants and continued investment in the future of renewable energy and carbon-free nuclear power, as well as energy efficiency and smart-grid initiatives.

Earlier this year, Progress Energy issued its fourth full corporate responsibility report. This report includes information on the company's balanced solution strategy to meet growing electricity demand and secure the region's energy future by investing in energy-efficiency programs, alternative and renewable energy sources and a state-of-the-art power system. It also includes a chapter on climate change policies and the company’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

The report addresses the company's commitment to its communities, including philanthropy, economic development and supplier-diversity efforts; the environment, including air and water quality; employees, including safety, health and diversity; and shareholders, with an emphasis on corporate governance and ethics.

The 2011 Corporate Responsibility Report is exclusively online and is available at www.progress-energy.com/crr. An executive summary of the report is also available for download.

Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 500 energy company with more than 22,000 megawatts of generation capacity and approximately $10 billion in annual revenues. Progress Energy includes two major electric utilities that serve about 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida. The company has earned the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence, and was the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award for customer service. The company is pursuing a balanced strategy for a secure energy future, which includes aggressive energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. Progress Energy celebrated a century of service in 2008.www.progress-energy.com.

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