Duke Energy Adding More Wind & Solar Resources
Renewable energy technologies are advancing and prices are decreasing. Duke Energy is leveraging those advancements to expand its renewable energy portfolio and deliver cleaner energy to its customers.
In total, the company has more than 20 wind projects and 60 solar facilities in operation in over a dozen states, totaling about 3,000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity.
For wind energy, the company completed two more projects last year – one in Texas and the other in Oklahoma. Duke Energy now harvests the wind in seven states.
Solar continues to expand, too. In California, Duke Energy Renewables acquired three solar power plants totaling 55 MW in January 2017. In December 2016, Duke Energy Renewables also completed its 20-MW solar project in San Bernardino County, California. In addition, the company acquired its first solar projects in Colorado and Georgia and began operating its first solar facility in New Mexico during 2016.
In our regulated states, the company continues to make strategic investments to benefit customers. In Indiana, construction is complete on the 17-MW solar facility at the Naval Support Activity Crane. The facility is helping power the military base and the surrounding community – similar to a project at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, which was completed in 2015.
In North Carolina, Duke Energy invested in 100 MW of solar capacity during the year – including plants in five counties that welcomed the jobs created during construction. Overall, Duke Energy has about 35 solar facilities in North Carolina, which represents the company’s top solar state. The company also purchased and connected around 500 MW of solar capacity for customers in 2016 that was built by other developers.
In Florida, the company announced its 8.8-MW Suwannee Solar Facility in early 2017 and expects to break ground in the spring, with full operation by the end of 2017. Duke Energy already owns and operates solar projects in three other Florida counties, with plans for more in the future. In South Carolina, the company’s solar rebate program paid nearly $12 million to customers last year. The rebates help with the upfront cost of installing solar panels, making the technology more accessible to customers.
Learn more about renewble energy projects in our 2016 Sustainability Report.
