Duke Energy, a North Carolina-based utility corporation, has completed two new solar plants in Florida, US, after constructing two earlier facilities in the state’s north. The Bay Ranch Renewable Energy Centre and the Hardeetown Renewable Energy Centre have a combined capacity of 74.9 MW. The Bay Ranch project, which is situated in Bay County, is built on 650 acres of land near Highway 22. It is powered by 220,000 solar panels mounted on single-axis trackers. At peak production, the solar plant’s electricity will power 23,000 average-sized homes. The project’s planning and development began in the winter of 2020, with local permits obtained in March 2021.
Construction on the solar project began in April 2022, and 200 jobs were created during its construction. The Hardeetown development spans 780 acres in Levy County, Florida. The plant is powered by 197,000 solar panels that are mounted on trackers. It created 200 to 300 temporary jobs during its construction. Construction started in April 2022 after planning got under way in November 2021. The construction of the two projects provides indirect economic advantages, such as increased local spending, and the taxes collected during operations will assist local communities.
In March 2023, Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions (DESS) began operations at its Pisgah Ridge Solar Facility in Navarro County, Texas. The 250 MW project employed up to 300 individuals during its construction phase. DESS would own and operate the project, while Moss would manage the engineering and construction operations. Three virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) with Charles River Laboratories International, Midwest retailer Meijer, and one unnamed entity are already in place for the Pisgah Ridge Solar plant.
