By Michael Dabaie


Duke Energy said it has completed a community solar site in Hardee County, Fla.

The Fort Green Renewable Energy Center is the first of 10 solar sites, totaling 750 megawatts, that are part of the company's new community solar program, Clean Energy Connection.

Duke launched the program in April, inviting residential, small and medium business and income-qualified customers in Florida to register to subscribe to the new community solar program.

Through the program, Duke Energy Florida customers can subscribe to solar power and earn credits toward their electricity bills without having to install or maintain their own equipment.

The 74.9-MW facility was built on approximately 500 acres of repurposed mining land in Hardee County. The project consists of nearly 265,000 solar panels, utilizing a fixed-tilt racking system that will produce enough carbon-free energy to effectively power more than 23,000 average-sized homes at peak production.

Duke said it expects the second Clean Energy Connection site, Bay Trail Renewable Energy Center in Citrus County, to begin supporting subscriptions later this summer.

Duke Energy Florida said in May that the first utility-scale solar power plant in Bay County was operational and delivering power to the electric grid.


Write to Michael Dabaie at michael.dabaie@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

06-10-22 1321ET