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Construction is set to begin on the company’s first floating solar pilot in Florida
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The pilot project will include more than 1,800 floating solar modules, providing even cleaner, carbon-free energy for customers
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Duke Energy Florida announced today that its first pilot floating solar array will begin construction later this month in Polk County.
The nearly 1-megawatt floating solar array will include more than 1,800 floating solar modules and occupy approximately 2 acres of water surface on an existing cooling pond at Duke Energy’s Hines Energy Complex in Bartow.
“We are excited to get hands-on experience with Duke Energy Florida’s first floating solar project at one of our own power plant sites,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida State President. “Unique pilot projects like floating solar help us better understand the possibilities of innovative clean energy technologies that can benefit our Florida customers and communities now and in the future.”
The teams will construct and assemble the modular floating system on land in segments before anchoring it in the water. The project will take about five to six months.
The pilot is part of Duke Energy’s Vision Florida program, which is designed to test innovative projects like microgrids and battery energy storage, among others, to prepare the electric grid for a clean energy future.
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of power capacity, delivering electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric companies serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.
Duke Energy is making an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emissions targets of at least a 50% reduction from electricity generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain upstream and downstream Scope 3 emissions by 2035, and 80% of electricity generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major improvements to the electricity grid and energy storage and is exploring zero-emissions electricity generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear power.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2023 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s coverage includes stories about people, innovation, community issues and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy TwitterLinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Media Line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS
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SOURCE Duke Energy