Duke Energy Florida launches two new lithium-ion battery sites
Duke Energy Florida launched two new lithium-ion battery sites in Alachua and Hamilton counties.
The facilities are designed to enhance grid operations, increase efficiencies, and improve overall reliability for customers and their communities.
“At Duke Energy, we are always looking ahead for innovative technologies that can help us better serve Florida customers,” Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, said. “These battery sites will help us continue to improve local reliability for our customers and provide significant energy services to the power grid.”
The 8.25-megawatt Micanopy battery site in Alachua County, located 15 miles southwest of Gainesville, just recently opened. The 5.5-megawatt facility in Hamilton County, 1.5 miles south of the Florida-Georgia border in the town of Jennings, was completed in April.
These two projects follow the completion of three battery projects earlier this year — located in Gilchrist, Gulf, and Highlands counties. The company plans to open six battery sites, totaling 50 megawatts, in Florida this year.
Among other projects, a 3.5-megawatt solar plus storage microgrid site will be added at Pinellas County’s John Hopkins Middle School. The microgrid will support grid operations and provide backup electric power when the school must operate as a special needs hurricane evacuation shelter. The microgrid consists of a 1-megawatt solar parking canopy array and a 2.5-megawatt battery.
Overall, Duke Energy Florida owns 10,300 megawatts of energy capacity. The company supplies electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
