Duke Energy Florida today announced the installation of its one-millionth solar panel in the state at the company’s Columbia Solar Power Plant in Fort White.
Duke Energy Florida plans to install a significant amount of additional solar energy over the next 10 years across the state.
"This is an exciting announcement as we increasingly deliver cleaner, more reliable energy to our customers," said Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida state president. "By mid-year, our solar plants are expected to eliminate nearly 1.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year. That’s the equivalent of taking 130,000 passenger cars off Florida roads."
Duke Energy Florida will have a total of almost 515 megawatts of solar under construction or operating by mid-2020.
The company is investing an estimated $1 billion to construct or acquire a total of 700 MW of solar power facilities from 2018 through 2022 in Florida.
Duke Energy Florida is projecting to more than double its solar investments, and plans to potentially install more than 1,500 MW of solar generation by 2028.