Duke Energy Florida says its 74.5 MW Duette Solar Power Plant is now operational. The facility was built on approximately 520 acres in Manatee County, Fla., and was placed in service on Oct. 25 – more than seven weeks ahead of its scheduled completion date. The installation consists of approximately 227,000 single-axis tracking solar panels, capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production annually.
The company is well on its way to a milestone of completing 10 new solar projects by 2022. Eight of those facilities are now in service, while the remaining two are under construction.
The Charlie Creek Solar Power Plant site began construction on 610 acres in Hardee County, Fla. The 74.9 MW facility will consist of approximately 235,000 single-axis tracking solar panels.
The Sandy Creek Solar Power Plant is being built on 625 acres in Bay County, Fla. As the county’s first solar power plant, the facility will bring 74.9 MW of clean energy to the area and consist of approximately 220,000 single-axis tracking solar panels. It is expected to be completed by spring 2022.
By 2022, Duke Energy is expected to have six battery sites in operation in Florida, totaling more than 50 MW of energy storage. Five of the six sites are expected to be complete by the end of 2021.
