Duke Energy Florida announced the locations of its four newest solar power plants – the latest move in the company’s program to expand its renewable generation portfolio. Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns a diverse generation mix of natural gas, coal, and renewables, and provides about 10.2 GW of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.9 million customers in a 13,000-mi.2 (33,670-km2) service area. “We continue [to invest] in utility-scale solar in Florida because our customers deserve a cleaner energy future,” said Duke Energy Florida President Melissa Seixas. “These solar plants are the latest milestones in our strategy to deliver reliable, cost-effective, clean energy to our customers.”
Duke Energy Florida plans to invest an estimated US$1 billion in 10 new solar power plants across Florida, including the four sites just announced.
Construction on the four sites will begin in early 2022 and will take approximately nine to 12 months to complete. Construction of all 10 sites is projected to be finished by late 2024. Combined, the plants will produce about 750 MW of new, cost-effective solar power.
One of the new sites will be built in Suwannee County in north Florida. “Suwannee County welcomes Duke Energy’s latest solar project. It promotes green energy and brings jobs and capital investment into our community,” said Suwannee County Economic Development Director Jimmy Norris. “We invite more opportunities that protect the environment while helping the future growth of our community.”
The four new sites are as follows:
| Name | Location | Size | Capacity | Panels |
| Hildreth Solar Power Plant | Suwannee County, Florida | 635 acres | 74.9 MW | 220,000 single-axis bifacial tracking solar panels. |
| Bay Ranch Solar Power Plant | Bay County, Florida | 645 acres | 74.9 MW | 220,000 single-axis bifacial tracking solar panels |
| The Hardeetown Solar Power Plant | Levy County, Florida | 650 acres | 74.9 MW | 218,000 single-axis bifacial tracking solar panels |
| High Springs Solar Power Plant | Alachua County, Florida | 700 acres | 74.9 MW | 216,000 single-axis tracking solar panels |
Duke Energy’s solar generation portfolio represents more than US$2 billion of investment, about 1,500 MW of emission-free generation, and approximately five million solar panels in the ground by 2024.
The company currently has more than 900 MW of solar generation under construction or in operation in Florida.
