Duke Energy Florida's first solar power plant in Bay County delivers clean, renewable energy to customers

Rhea-AI Summary

Duke Energy Florida has launched its first utility-scale solar power plant in Bay County, known as Sandy Creek. This 74.9 MW facility, built on 625 acres, can power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production. The project is part of Duke Energy's goal to provide 700 MW of clean energy through 10 solar facilities by the end of 2022. With a total investment exceeding $2 billion, the company aims to deliver around 1,500 MW of emission-free generation from 25 solar plants by 2024, contributing to Florida's renewable energy transition.

Positive

• First utility-scale solar power plant in Bay County operational.
• 74.9 MW capacity, enough to power 23,000 homes at peak.
• Part of a broader plan to achieve 700 MW of clean energy by 2022.
• Significant investment of over $2 billion in solar projects.

Negative

• None.

• Sandy Creek is 1 of 8 solar sites built in north Florida.
• 74.9-megawatt facility can power 23,000 homes annually at peak production.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its commitment to provide cleaner energy solutions to benefit customers throughout the state, Duke Energy Florida today announced that the first utility-scale solar power plant in Bay County is now operational and delivering power to the electric grid.

"Growing renewable energy in Florida is a top priority for us, and we are proud to complete the first utility-scale solar site in Bay County," said Duke Energy Florida state president Melissa Seixas. "This project will play a major role in our state's transition toward a cleaner energy future and demonstrates how neighbors, businesses and communities can come together to make meaningful impacts that will benefit Florida's environment, energy system and electric customers."

The Sandy Creek Solar Power Plant was built on 625 acres in Bay County, Fla. As the county's first utility-scale solar power plant, the facility brings 74.9 megawatts (MW) of clean energy to the area and consists of approximately 220,000 single-axis tracking solar panels, capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes annually at peak production.

The new facility is part of Duke Energy Florida's commitment to provide customers with 700 MW of clean energy through the completion of 10 facilities by 2022. These 10 facilities are located throughout Florida, as far south as Highlands County and as far north as Hamilton County. Nine of the 10 facilities are now in service, while the remaining site in Hardee County is under construction and expected to be completed this summer.

Solar generation commitment

With a combined investment of more than $2 billion, Duke Energy Florida's solar generation portfolio will include 25 grid-tied solar power plants, which will benefit all Florida customers and will provide about 1,500 MW of emission-free generation from approximately 5 million solar panels by 2024.

Video of Sandy Creek Solar Power Plant, from drone.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Audrey Stasko 
Cell: 315.877.3031
Media line: 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy

FAQ

What is the capacity of the Sandy Creek Solar Power Plant by Duke Energy (DUK)?

The Sandy Creek Solar Power Plant has a capacity of 74.9 megawatts.

How many homes can the Sandy Creek Solar Power Plant power?

The facility can power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production.

What are Duke Energy's plans for solar energy in Florida?

Duke Energy plans to provide 700 MW of clean energy by completing 10 solar facilities by the end of 2022.

What is the total investment Duke Energy is making in solar energy?

Duke Energy is investing more than $2 billion in its solar generation portfolio.

How much emission-free generation will Duke Energy produce by 2024?

Duke Energy aims to produce about 1,500 MW of emission-free generation from approximately 5 million solar panels by 2024.