Exhibit 24-A

                            DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

                       REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-3

A MAXIMUM OF $2,000,000,000 AGGREGATE PUBLIC OFFERING PRICE OF DEBT SECURITIES,
   FIRST AND REFUNDING MORTGAGE BONDS, COMMON STOCK, WITHOUT PAR VALUE, STOCK
                PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND/OR STOCK PURCHASE UNITS,
      AND/OR TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES OR CAPITAL SECURITIES (SECURITIES)

     The undersigned DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION, a North Carolina corporation, and
certain of its officers and/or directors, do each hereby constitute and appoint
Richard B. Priory, Robert P. Brace, David L. Hauser, Myron L. Caldwell and
Robert T. Lucas III, and each of them, with full power of substitution, to act
as attorneys-in-fact for and in the respective names, places, and stead of the
undersigned, to execute, seal, sign and file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission a Registration Statement or Registration Statements of said Duke
Energy Corporation on Form S-3 and any and all amendments thereto (including
pre-effective and post-effective amendments or any other registration statement
filed pursuant to the provisions of Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Act")) for the purpose of registering under the Act the
Securities, hereby granting to said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full
power and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in and about the premises, as fully
to all intents and purposes as the undersigned, or any of them, might or could
do if personally present, hereby ratifying and approving the acts of said
attorneys-in-fact.

     Executed the 6th day of June, 2003.

                                        DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION

                                        By /s/ R. B. PRIORY
                                           ------------------------------------
                                              Chairman and Chief Executive
                                                Officer

(Corporate Seal)

ATTEST:

/s/ ROBERT T. LUCAS III
- -----------------------------
Assistant Secretary

<Table>
                                   
/s/ R. B. PRIORY                      Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- ----------------------------          (Principal Executive Officer and Director)
R.B. Priory


/s/ ROBERT P. BRACE                    Executive Vice President and Chief
- ----------------------------           Financial Officer
Robert P. Brace                        (Principal Financial Officer)


/s/ KEITH G. BUTLER                    Senior Vice President and Controller
- ----------------------------           (Principal Accounting Officer)
Keith G. Butler


/s/ G. ALEX BERNHARDT                  (Director)
- ----------------------------
G. Alex Bernhardt


/s/ ROBERT J. BROWN                    (Director)
- ----------------------------
Robert J. Brown


/s/ WILLIAM T. ESREY                   (Director)
- ----------------------------
William T. Esrey


/s/ ANN M. GRAY                        (Director)
- ----------------------------
Ann M. Gray


/s/ GEORGE DEAN JOHNSON, JR.           (Director)
- ----------------------------
George Dean Johnson, Jr.

</Table>

<Table>
                                   
/s/ MAX LENNON                         (Director)
- ----------------------------
Max Lennon

/s/ LEO E. LINBECK, JR.                (Director)
- ----------------------------
Leo E. Linbeck, Jr.

/s/ JAMES G. MARTIN                    (Director)
- ----------------------------
James G. Martin

/s/ MICHAEL E. J. PHELPS               (Director)
- ----------------------------
Michael E. J. Phelps

/s/ JAMES T. RHODES                   (Director)
- ----------------------------
James T. Rhodes

</Table>