Duke Energy Florida announces locations for four new solar power plants

Duke Energy Florida is expanding its renewable generation portfolio with plans for four new solar power plants.

The four new sites include the Hildreth Solar Power Plant in Suwannee County; the Bay Ranch Solar Power Plant in Bay County; the Hardeetown Solar Power Plant in Levy County; and the High Springs Solar Power Plant in Alachua County. Combined, the plants will produce about 750 megawatts (MW) of solar power.

Construction on the four sites will begin in early 2022. It will take approximately nine to 12 months to complete.

These are just the first four of 10 new solar plants the company plans to construct over the next couple of years – an estimated $1 billion investment. Overall, the company has invested more than $2 billion in solar power and expects to have approximately five million solar panels in the ground by 2024. The company currently has more than 900-MW of solar generation under construction or in operation in Florida.

“We continue investing in utility-scale solar in Florida because our customers deserve a cleaner energy future,” Duke Energy Florida state president Melissa Seixas said. “These solar plants are the latest milestones in our strategy to deliver reliable, cost-effective, clean energy to our customers.”

Currently, construction is underway on two facilities, the Bay Trail Solar Power Plant in Citrus County and the Fort Green Solar Power Plant in Hardee County.