Duke Energy Florida (DEF) has unveiled the locations of its two newest solar power plants, which continue the expansion of its renewable generation portfolio.
The Fort Green Power Plant will be built on approximately 500 acres in Hardee County, Fla. The 74.9 MW plant will consist of approximately 265,000 solar panels, utilizing a fixed-tilt racking system. The Bay Trail Solar Power Plant will be built on 500 acres in Citrus County, Fla. Once operational, the 74.9 MW facility will consist of approximately 197,000 tracking bifacial solar panels. Its innovative double-sided panel design is highly efficient and tracks the movement of the sun. The Bay Trail facility is the site of a future mining location, and the Fort Green site is a former phosphate mine.
“These solar power plants are examples of how mining sites can be developed for renewable energy and benefit our communities and the environment,” says Melissa Seixas, state president of Duke Energy Florida. “Duke Energy Florida is delivering on what our customers want – access to clean energy at a competitive price. We are providing environmentally friendly solar that benefits all of our Florida customers.”
The solar plants are the latest milestones in the company’s strategy to deliver clean energy to customers. DEF currently has more than 900 MW of solar generation under construction or in operation and will more than quadruple the amount of in-service solar on its system over the next four years. Duke Energy Florida says it has now installed more than 1.9 million solar panels in Florida to date.
