According to a recent article in the Orlando Business Journal; Duke Energy is venturing into solar power in a big way in Florida, they have plans to add 500 megawatts of utility-scale solar across the date by 2024.
The addition of solar facilities was filed the beginning of April as part of the company’s 2015 – ten year plan proposed to the Florida Public Service Commission. Construction is expected to begin later this year on the first site – which will be up to five megawatts, with the goal to have 35 megawatts completed by 2018. These first solar energy facilities give Duke the ability to assess costs and monitor the effects on the electric infrastructure.
The article says that “one megawatt of large-scale solar is equivalent to about 200 residential rooftop systems. The number varies by state and conditions. The new solar energy facilities will complement already planned investments by Duke Energy Florida to build a combined-cycle natural gas plant in Citrus County, upgrade its combined-cycle Hines plant in Polk County and purchase Calpine’s Osprey plant, also in Polk County.”