Duke Energy Florida has completed two new solar energy facilities, the Half Moon Renewable Energy Center in Sumter County and the Rattler Renewable Energy Center in Hernando County. Each site produces 74.9 megawatts of clean energy, which has been added to the electric grid. The company estimates that these sites will save its 2 million customers about $500 million over their service lifetimes.
The projects are part of an agreement with the Florida Public Service Commission to build a total of 12 new solar sites between 2025 and 2027. These sites are expected to generate a combined 900 megawatts of energy and provide customers with approximately $3 billion in savings over their operational lives.
According to Duke Energy Florida, expanding solar energy helps reduce reliance on fuel sources such as natural gas, which can be more expensive and whose costs are directly passed on to customers through their bills.
Melissa Seixas, state president of Duke Energy Florida, said, “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 sites across the state that contribute around 1,700 megawatts to its system. The company projects that by the end of 2033 it will have over 6,100 megawatts of utility-scale solar generating capacity online.
Duke Energy Florida is a subsidiary of Duke Energy and provides electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile area in Florida. Its parent company serves more than eight million electric utility customers across six states and is investing in upgrades to its electric grid as well as cleaner forms of power generation.
More information about Duke Energy’s initiatives can be found at duke-energy.com and through its social media channels.
