Duke Energy Florida has completed two new solar energy sites in Hernando and Sumter counties. The Half Moon Renewable Energy Center in Sumter County and the Rattler Renewable Energy Center in Hernando County each produce 74.9 megawatts of clean energy that is now part of the electric grid.
The company estimates these two facilities will save its 2 million customers about $500 million over their service lifetimes by reducing the need for fuel like natural gas, whose costs are directly passed on to customers through their bills.
These sites are the first phase of an agreement with the Florida Public Service Commission to build a total of 12 new solar sites between 2025 and 2027. When all sites are complete, they are expected to generate 900 megawatts of energy and provide approximately $3 billion in savings to customers during their service lifetimes.
Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president, 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 energy sites across the state with a combined capacity of about 1,700 megawatts. 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 serves around 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout a 13,000-square-mile area in Florida. Its parent company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and serves millions of electric and natural gas customers across several states.
More information can be found at duke-energy.com or through the Duke Energy News Center.
