Duke Energy Florida has announced the completion of two new solar energy sites, the Half Moon Renewable Energy Center in Sumter County and the Rattler Renewable Energy Center in Hernando County. Each site will produce 74.9 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, which has been added to the electric grid.
The company estimates that these new sites will save its 2 million customers approximately $500 million over their service lifetimes by reducing reliance on fuel sources such as natural gas. Fuel costs are directly passed through to customer bills, so expanding solar generation is expected to create direct savings for consumers.
These projects represent the first phase of an agreement with the Florida Public Service Commission to build a total of 12 new solar sites between 2025 and 2027. When completed, these sites are projected to generate a combined 900 MW of energy and deliver about $3 billion in customer savings throughout their operational lives.
Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, stated: “Our customers are the motivation for our ongoing solar energy expansion – as they are for everything we do, every day. Each new solar site creates considerable savings for them, while diversifying and strengthening our generation fleet, ensuring we’re delivering on our commitment to providing safe, reliable energy at the lowest price possible.”
Currently, Duke Energy Florida owns and operates more than 30 solar energy sites across the state that contribute around 1,700 MW to its system. The company plans to increase this figure to over 6,100 MW of utility-scale solar generating capacity by the end of 2033.
Duke Energy Florida is a subsidiary of Duke Energy and supplies electricity across a 13,000-square-mile area in Florida with an overall capacity of 12,300 MW. Parent company Duke Energy serves millions of customers across several states and continues investments in grid upgrades and cleaner forms of power generation.
More information can be found at duke-energy.com and through various social media platforms operated by Duke Energy.
