Duke Energy Florida invests $521 million in four new solar sites

Duke Energy Florida plans to invest $521 million in the development of four new solar sites across Madison, Sumter, Hernando, and Jefferson counties, aiming to add nearly 300 megawatts to the power grid by summer 2026.

Share:

Duke Energy Florida has submitted its 2025 Solar Base Rate Adjustment (SoBRA) filing to the Florida Public Service Commission, outlining plans to invest $521 million in four new solar sites. These facilities will be located in Madison (Sundance Renewable Energy Center), Sumter (Half Moon Renewable Energy Center), Hernando (Rattler Renewable Energy Center), and Jefferson (Bailey Mill Renewable Energy Center) counties. The goal is to add nearly 300 megawatts (MW) of solar energy to the electric grid by summer 2026.

Construction Schedule and Commissioning

Construction has already begun at the Sundance, Half Moon, and Rattler renewable energy centers, all of which are expected to be operational by January 2026. The Bailey Mill Renewable Energy Center is still in the permitting process, with construction slated to start in summer 2025, aiming for an operational date in summer 2026. Each site is expected to create an average of 150 temporary jobs during the construction phase.

Financial and Economic Impact

Duke Energy Florida projects that these four solar sites will save customers $843 million over their operational lifetimes. This initiative is part of a settlement agreement approved by the Florida Public Service Commission in August 2024, aimed at modernizing and strengthening the company’s generation fleet.

Production Capacity and Future Plans

At peak output, each 74.9 MW site will generate enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes while reducing annual consumption by 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil, and 12,000 tons of coal. Duke Energy Florida currently owns and operates more than 25 solar sites across the state, producing around 1,500 MW of energy. Between 2025 and 2027, the company plans to build 12 new solar sites, adding an additional 900 MW to the electric grid. By the end of 2033, the company projects to have more than 6,100 MW of utility-scale solar generating capacity online.

Facing chronic power outages, South African households are increasingly turning to solar self-generation, jeopardizing Eskom's pricing model and widening energy-access inequalities between affluent neighborhoods and disadvantaged areas.
Sol Systems has secured a $675mn credit facility to accelerate the development of 500 MW of solar and storage projects in Illinois, Ohio and Texas, backed by an international banking consortium.
The rapid rise of solar energy is disrupting Pakistan’s electricity sector, forcing the government to revise its tariff policy and introduce new taxes on solar panel imports.
Sabanci Renewables announces the acquisition of the Texan solar project Pepper from OCI Energy, strengthening its US portfolio to 660 MW and paving the way for an increase to 3 GW by 2030.
The results of recent Polish auctions reveal a predominance of photovoltaic solar, with 178 projects selected and a total capacity of 1.67 GW, while other segments found no takers.
The National Solar Energy Federation, launched on 21 June and formalised on 14 July, brings together installers, equipment suppliers and financiers to defend photovoltaics against political criticism as Paris prepares a new energy roadmap.
A $60mn subordinated loan will speed delivery of equipment for a 223 MWp solar-storage plant serving the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex, deepening the financial partnership between CrossBoundary Energy and Standard Bank South Africa.
New York developer DESRI, together with utility El Paso Electric, starts construction of the 150 MWac Santa Teresa solar complex and its 600 MWh storage system, financed by an international banking consortium.
Renewable developer Geronimo Power begins construction of the 250 MW Portage Solar park, expected to generate more than $100 mn in cumulative economic impact in Wisconsin, according to a news release issued on July 15 by PR Newswire.
African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) provides a liquidity guarantee to the Sokodé solar project, facilitating private financing for a 62 MW plant dedicated to Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo.
Three major players commit to developing five solar plants and two wind farms, with commissioning scheduled between 2027 and 2028 as part of Saudi Arabia’s national programme.
SAEL Industries will invest $954mn in a solar factory in Greater Noida, boosting Indian manufacturing capacity and supporting the national strategy to localise photovoltaic component production.
Global photovoltaic inverter shipments increased by 10% in 2024, driven by the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for nearly seven out of ten shipments, while China consolidates its influence on the sector.
Arctech Brazil has received FINAME certification from the National Bank for Economic and Social Development, making financing more accessible for its solar trackers and consolidating its role in the Latin American solar market.
Solargik strengthens its presence in Italy with 85 MW of photovoltaic projects, including partnerships with Revalue and Free Ingegneria, to deploy systems on steep and agricultural land previously considered unexploitable.
EDF power solutions commissions two new photovoltaic plants in Moselle, together representing a capacity of 72 MWp, capable of annually supplying electricity equivalent to 36,000 inhabitants, or 30% of the population of Metz.
Solar energy reached a record share of 22.1% in the European electricity mix in June 2025, becoming for the first time the main source of electricity in the European Union, according to a report by think tank Ember.
Abraxas Power Corp. receives unprecedented authorisation from Maldivian authorities to develop a 100 MW solar project within a new special economic zone, targeting energy security and national climate objectives.
GreenYellow and Meaders Feeds Ltd finalise a second 1.8 MWp solar project under the Carbon Neutral Industrial Sector Scheme aimed at decarbonising the Mauritian industrial sector.
The Lime Kiln project, developed by Chaberton Energy and Pivot Energy, will provide renewable energy to 500 homes and businesses in Maryland, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.