Duke Energy Begins Construction on Solar Sites

In Bay and Madison counties, Duke Energy Florida announced the start of work on two new solar projects.

The new initiatives expand the company’s commitment to cleaner energy options for the advantage of Florida customers and are a component of its community solar programme, Clean Energy Connection.

The following sites will start construction in March, and it will take nine to twelve months to complete them. During that time, 200 to 300 temporary jobs will be generated.

Over roughly 700 acres in Bay County, Florida, the Mule Creek Renewable Energy Complex will be constructed, along with smart site buffers for the neighbourhood. The 74.9 megawatt (MW) project will have about 175,000 solar panels when it is fully operational.

Duke Energy

The Winquepin Renewable Energy Center will be constructed in Madison County, Florida, following a well-attended community open house. The 74.9 Megawatt facility will have about 220,000 solar panels when it is fully operational.

Each plant is capable of producing as much carbon-free electricity as 23,000 houses at its maximum production.

“These new renewable energy projects not only help strengthen the energy diversity in the state and advance our clean energy goals, but they also bring additional economic benefits to the communities we serve,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.

Based on Duke Energy Florida’s current fuel mix, each 74.9-MW solar facility displaces about 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil and 12,000 tons of coal each year.

In 2022, because of high fuel prices and the benefits from initial tax credits due to a new federal law, the Inflation Reduction Act, Duke Energy Florida’s solar power plants will save customers more than $30 million.

According to Melissa Seixas, state president of Duke Energy Florida, “These new renewable energy projects not only increase the state’s energy diversity and promote our clean energy goals, but they also provide significant economic benefits to the communities we serve.

Each 74.9 Megawatt solar project replaces around 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil, and 12,000 tonnes of coal annually, according to Duke Energy Florida’s current fuel mix.

Due to the high cost of fuel and the advantages of the initial tax credits provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, a new federal law, Duke Energy Florida’s solar power facilities will save customers more than $30 million in 2022. Customers of Duke Energy Florida can sign up for solar power through the Clean Energy Connection programme and receive credits on their electricity bills without having to install or maintain their own equipment.

Clients purchase solar energy from the company’s Clean Energy Connection solar portfolio on a subscription basis. The easy monthly subscription fee is charged in addition to a customer’s regular power bill and will assist in defraying the expense of building and running the renewable energy facilities. Clients also receive a matching subscription credit, which is multiplied by the subscription credit rate and increases over the course of the subscription, and represents their proportion of the energy produced by the solar centres in a particular month.