ST. PETERSBURG : With the completion of a new 74.9-megawatt (MW) solar facility in Hardee County, Duke Energy reached a significant milestone – it has delivered on its commitment to provide 700 MW of clean energy to Florida customers.
The Charlie Creek Solar Power Plant is the last of 10 solar sites that are part of the company’s multiyear plan on file with the Florida Public Service Commission to deliver 700 MW of solar generation from 2018 through 2022.
Elected officials and community leaders joined Duke Energy today at a commemorative ribbon cutting and solar panel signing ceremony at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate this significant milestone and grand opening of the new site.
“Today we are delivering on our promise to build a cleaner, brighter energy future for our customers,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “By 2024, we plan to provide 1,500 MW of solar generation as part of our ongoing strategy to offer cleaner, smarter energy solutions that will benefit all Florida customers.”
In addition to carbon reduction and the benefits of creating a diverse energy infrastructure, solar development fosters economic development and job creation in the areas that Duke Energy serves. During construction, the projects brought nearly 2,400 temporary construction jobs to the area.
All 10 solar facilities are located throughout Florida, as far south as Highlands County and as far north as Hamilton County. At peak output, the sites will generate enough energy to effectively offset the carbon emissions that would be equivalent to consuming about 140 million gallons of gasoline every year.
The 10 solar power plants under this commitment include:
- Hamilton (completed December 2018) in Hamilton County. Click here for video.
- Trenton (completed December 2019) in Gilchrist County. Click here for video.
- Columbia (completed March 2020) in Columbia County. Click here for video.
- DeBary (completed June 2020) in Volusia County. Click here for video.
- Twin Rivers (completed March 2021) in Hamilton County. Click here for video.
- Santa Fe (completed March 2021) in Columbia County. Click here for video.
- Duette (completed November 2021) in Manatee County. Click here for photos.
- Lake Placid (completed December 2021) in Highlands County. Click here for video.
- Sandy Creek (completed May 2022) in Bay County. Click here for video.
- Charlie Creek (completed August 2022) in Hardee County. Click here and here for videos.
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.
Over the next decade, the company will continue to make innovative and targeted investments in additional solar power plants, battery storage technology, community solar, transportation electrification and a modernized power grid to help meet customers’ needs for diverse, reliable energy solutions.
