Duke Energy Renewables has started operating four solar power projects in North Carolina that have a combined 30 megawatts of capacity.
The projects are located in the towns of Creswell, Everetts, Battleboro and Sunbury. The company has an additional 132MW of solar farms under construction that is expected to be complete by year end. The second phase of the DC institutions’ solar project underway in Kelford and Whitakers will add a further 32MW.
Work has also begun on Duke Energy Renewables’ 80-MW site in Conetoe, the largest solar power project under construction east of the Mississippi.
“With these additions to our existing 105MW portfolio , we are more than doubling our solar capacity in North Carolina ,” said Greg Wolf, president Commercial Portfolio, Duke Energy. “Providing increasingly clean power is important to our company and customers, and we are pleased to take part in the state’s growing solar industry.”
The energy generated from the completed Creswell, Everetts, Battleboro and Sunbury solar projects will be sold to Dominion NC Power. The output from Capital Partners Phase II will go to George Washington University, American University and George Washington University Hospital. Conetoe’s customer is under negotiation. These facilities will produce enough energy to power about 32,000 average homes.
SunEnergy1 is the developer and builder for the projects.
Shawboro, a 20-MW solar site announced in July, is under construction in Currituck County, bringing the 2015 projects to a total of 160MW. With 105MW of solar projects already in operation in North Carolina and the 160MW that will be completed this year, Duke Energy Renewables will have a total of 265 MW of solar power in service in North Carolina by year end.
