Duke Energy Florida to add nearly 300 megawatts of solar energy to the electric grid by early 2027

• Four new solar energy sites will save customers an estimated $1 billion over their service lifetimes.

• The sites will be located in Columbia, Osceola and Sumter counties.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Today, Duke Energy Florida submitted a filing to the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC), outlining plans for four new solar energy sites that will add nearly 300 megawatts (MW) to the electric grid by early 2027.

Why it matters

• Expanding solar energy helps displace the cost of fuel, like natural gas, that would otherwise be needed to generate electricity. This creates savings for customers because the price Duke Energy Florida pays for fuel is a direct pass-through cost reflected on their bills. In this case, the four sites will save the company's 2 million customers an estimated $1 billion over their service lifetimes.
  
• Duke Energy Florida also transfers approximately $65 million in Inflation Reduction Act production tax credits to customers per year, which reduces their monthly bill by at least $2.50 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity used, and that amount will increase as more solar energy sites are brought online.
  
• During construction, each solar energy site will create an average of 150 temporary jobs in the local community.
  
• From an environmental perspective, at peak output, each solar energy site saves about 1.1 million cubic feet of natural gas, 12,000 barrels of fuel oil and 9,000 tons of coal annually.

Our view

"These solar energy sites will deliver real, tangible value for our customers," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "It's all part of a larger strategy to diversify our generation fleet and make it more efficient and cost-effective for the people, businesses and communities we have the privilege of serving across Florida."

The details

• The four new solar energy sites will be located in Columbia, Osceola and Sumter counties and are projected to be online by March 2027:

• Jumper Creek Renewable Energy Center (Sumter County)
  • Construction status: Underway
    
  • Estimated completion: July 2026
    
• Turnpike Renewable Energy Center (Osceola County)
  
  • Construction status: Beginning December 2025
    
  • Estimated completion: December 2026
    
• Lonesome Camp Renewable Energy Center (Osceola County)
  
  • Construction status: Beginning January 2026
    
  • Estimated completion: February 2027
    
• Banner Renewable Energy Center (Columbia County)
  
  • Construction status: Beginning February 2026
    
  • Estimated completion: March 2027

Zoom out

• By the end of 2025, Duke Energy Florida will own, operate and maintain approximately 30 solar energy sites across the state that contribute more than 1,700 MW to the electric grid.
  
• These four new solar energy sites are the second phase of an agreement to build 12 new sites, adding 900 MW to the electric grid, between 2025 and 2027.The first phase, which also included four sites filed with the FPSC earlier this year, is ongoing.
  
• The company projects to have over 6,100 MW of utility-scale solar generating capacity online by the end of 2033.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.

Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853