Duke Energy Florida Announces Three New Solar Power Plants to Complete 700-MW Commitment

Duke Energy Florida (DEF) on May 29 filed the locations of its three newest solar power plants, which will provide cleaner, smarter energy solutions to benefit Florida customers.

* The Duette Solar Power Plant will be built on approximately 520 acres in Manatee County, Fla. Once operational, the 74.5-MW facility will consist of approximately 227,000 single-axis tracking solar panels, capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production annually. Once completed, the estimated cost will be 42 cents per 1,000 kWh for a typical residential customer.

* The Charlie Creek Solar Power Plant will be built on 610 acres in Hardee County, Fla. The 74.9-MW facility will consist of approximately 235,000 single-axis tracking solar panels, capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production annually. Once completed, the estimated cost will be 39 cents per 1,000 kWh for a typical residential customer.

* The Archer Solar Power Plant will be built on 630 acres in Alachua County, Fla. This 74.9-MW facility will consist of approximately 220,000 single-axis tracking solar panels, capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production annually. Once completed, the estimated cost will be 32 cents per 1,000 kWh for a typical residential customer.

During construction, each solar project creates approximately 200 to 300 temporary jobs. All three solar power plants will be owned, operated and maintained by Duke Energy Florida and are expected to be finished in late 2021.

Duke Energy Florida currently has more than 500 MW of solar generation under construction or in operation, excluding the sites announced on May 29. The company is investing an estimated $1bn to construct or acquire a total of 700 MW of solar power facilities from 2018 through 2022 in Florida and is planning to reach a total of almost 1,700 MW of solar generation over the next 10 years.

Duke Energy Florida recently completed two other facilities:

* The Columbia Solar Power Plant in Columbia County, Fla., began serving customers on March 17. The facility is 74.9 MW with 245,000 solar panels.

* The DeBary Solar Power Plant in Volusia County, Fla., began serving customers on May 14. The facility is 74.5 MW with 300,000 panels.

Solar projects under construction

The Twin Rivers Solar Power Plant is being built on 515 acres in Hamilton County, Fla. Once operational, the 74.9-MW facility will consist of approximately 235,000 tracking solar panels that track the movement of the sun and are capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production. Once completed, the estimated cost will be 40 cents per 1,000 kWh for a typical residential customer.

The Santa Fe Solar Power Plant is being built on 607 acres in Columbia County, Fla. The 74.9-MW plant will consist of approximately 235,000 tracking solar panels, which will produce enough carbon-free energy to power more than 23,000 average homes at peak production. Once completed, the estimated cost will be 43 cents per 1,000 kWh for a typical residential customer.