Duke Energy Florida has announced plans to expand its solar energy capacity by nearly 300 megawatts (MW) with the addition of four new solar sites. The company filed details of this plan with the Florida Public Service Commission, targeting completion by early 2027.
The new sites will be located in Columbia, Osceola, and Sumter counties. Duke Energy Florida estimates that these facilities will save customers about $1 billion over their service lifetimes due to reduced reliance on fuel sources such as natural gas, whose costs are passed directly onto customers.
“These solar energy sites will deliver real, tangible value for our customers,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “It’s all part of a larger strategy to diversify our generation fleet and make it more efficient and cost-effective for the people, businesses and communities we have the privilege of serving across Florida.”
During construction, each site is expected to create around 150 temporary jobs locally. Environmentally, each facility at peak output could displace approximately 1.1 million cubic feet of natural gas, 12,000 barrels of fuel oil, and 9,000 tons of coal per year.
In addition to the savings from fuel displacement, Duke Energy Florida passes about $65 million annually in Inflation Reduction Act production tax credits directly to customers. This currently reduces monthly bills by at least $2.50 per 1,000 kilowatt-hours consumed—a figure that will grow as more solar projects come online.
The four new solar centers are part of a broader agreement involving the construction of twelve new sites between 2025 and 2027. By March 2027, these latest facilities—Jumper Creek Renewable Energy Center (Sumter County), Turnpike Renewable Energy Center (Osceola County), Lonesome Camp Renewable Energy Center (Osceola County), and Banner Renewable Energy Center (Columbia County)—are scheduled to be operational.
By the end of 2025, Duke Energy Florida expects to operate about thirty solar installations statewide with a combined output exceeding 1,700 MW. Looking ahead, the company projects over 6,100 MW of utility-scale solar generation capacity online by the end of 2033.
Duke Energy Florida serves two million customers across a thirteen-thousand-square-mile area in the state and is a subsidiary of Duke Energy headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The parent company provides electric service to over eight million customers across six states and operates substantial natural gas utilities as well.
More information can be found at duke-energy.com or through Duke Energy’s official social media channels.
