Duke tax payments arrive before the deadline

Duke Energy has made good on its tax obligation to an appreciative Oconee County government.  The giant utility satisfied its 2021 property tax bills in advance of the first late penalty that went into effect this week.  Greg Nowell, Oconee treasurer, says the taxes paid by the county’s largest taxpayer, were immediately placed into the county’s bank account.  This time there were two separate checks from Duke:  one for $223 thousand dollars and the other for $37,252,394.67.  Last year Duke’s obligation to the county totaled $35.7 million.  The increase this year, 10%, according to Nowell, reflects new equipment added to Duke’s holdings in the county.