Duke Energy, a major US utility, has recently completed two solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in northern Florida, further bolstering its growing clean energy portfolio. The two projects add a combined 150MW of capacity and come just weeks after the company powered another 150MW of community solar in the southern state, as part of its Clean Energy Connection program.
The Clean Energy Connection program enables customers to subscribe to solar power and earn credits toward their electricity bills, without the need to install any solar panels themselves. This approach allows Duke Energy to take advantage of economies of scale, as well as provide easy access to clean energy for customers who may not have the means to install solar panels on their own.
Each of the new solar plants has a capacity of 74.9MW, with one located in Bay County and the other in Levy County. The Bay County plant consists of nearly 220,000 single-axis tracking solar panels, while the Levy County plant has more than 200,000 single-axis tracking solar panels. Both plants are expected to provide real savings to committed program subscribers and additional economic benefits to the surrounding communities.
Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, stated, “Not only are these new solar sites helping advance Florida's clean energy transition, but they will also provide real savings to committed program subscribers and additional economic benefits to our communities.”
The growth of community solar in the US is expected to continue over the next five years, as it is set to more than double its current capacity of 5.2GW at the end of 2022. As more utilities follow Duke Energy's lead and make community solar more accessible to customers, the clean energy transition in the US will continue to gain momentum.
In a statement, Duke Energy Chairman, President and CEO, Lynn Good said, “At Duke Energy, we're working hard to build a smarter energy future for our customers and communities. These new solar sites are a testament to our commitment to that future, and we're proud to be doing our part to help advance the clean energy transition in Florida and across the US.”
