- All 10 of the company's Clean Energy Connection solar energy
sites are now fully operational
ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 29,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With all 10 of Duke Energy
Florida's Clean Energy Connection solar energy sites now fully
operational, the company is celebrating delivering on its
commitment – part of a 2020 filing with the Florida Public Service
Commission – to provide nearly 750 megawatts of solar generation in
Florida from 2022 to 2024.
"Solar development is critical to maintaining a modern, diverse
and resilient electric grid," said Melissa
Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "I look forward
to building on the important work we've done in recent years as we
continue to upgrade our generation fleet, ensuring we are providing
reliable, affordable energy for our customers and the communities
we serve – now and in the future."
At peak output, each 74.9-megawatt Clean Energy Connection solar
site will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of
approximately 23,000 homes, while displacing 1.2 million cubic feet
of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil and 12,000 tons of coal
annually.
The 10 Clean Energy Connection solar sites also fostered – and
continue to promote – economic development across the state,
creating more than 1,500 temporary jobs during construction and
contributing significant tax revenue to their respective
counties.
The Clean Energy Connection solar sites are located throughout
Florida, from Bay County down to Hardee County:
- Bay Ranch Renewable Energy Center in Bay County (completed in April 2023)
- Bay Trail Renewable Energy Center in Citrus County (completed in September 2022)
- County Line Renewable Energy Center in Gilchrist County
(completed in August 2024)
- Falmouth Renewable Energy Center in Suwannee County (completed in June 2024)
- Fort Green Renewable Energy Center in Hardee County (completed in June 2022)
- Hardeetown Renewable Energy Center in Levy County (completed in April 2023)
- High Springs Renewable Energy Center in Alachua County (completed in April 2023)
- Hildreth Renewable Energy Center in Suwannee County (completed in April 2023)
- Mule Creek Renewable Energy Center in Bay County (completed in March 2024)
- Winquepin Renewable Energy Center in Madison County (completed in December 2024)
Additionally, customers can subscribe to support a portion of
the solar energy produced by the Clean Energy Connection sites,
earning credits toward their electricity bills without having to
install or maintain their own equipment. The monthly subscription
fee helps cover the capital and operating costs of the sites and is
conveniently added to a customer's regular bill. For more
information, please visit Duke Energy's Clean Energy Connection
website.
The Clean Energy Connection sites are now a part of Duke Energy
Florida's portfolio of more than 25 solar sites, which produce
almost 1,500 megawatts of emission-free generation. An additional
12 new solar sites are planned between 2025 and 2027, adding
another 900 megawatts of generation, and for the next 10 years, the
company projects adding at least 450 megawatts of utility
scale-solar energy per year.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a
subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy
capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential,
commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile
service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE:
DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric
utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities
serve 1.7 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious clean energy transition,
keeping reliability, affordability and accessibility at the
forefront as the company works toward net-zero methane emissions
from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions
from electricity generation by 2050. The company is investing in
major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including
expanded energy storage, renewables, natural gas and
nuclear.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the
Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy
on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for
stories about the people and innovations powering our energy
transition.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy
