CINCINNATI, July 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy
customers in Northern Kentucky
will soon benefit from clean, renewable solar energy as part of the
company's plans to develop its first solar facilities in the
commonwealth. Duke Energy will build and operate three solar power
plants on sites in Kenton and
Grant counties, and the energy
will be delivered directly to customers.
"Our customers want solar," said Jim
Henning, president of Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky. "And solar is something we've
thoroughly studied and prioritized in our long-term planning.
"Now's the right time for many reasons. For instance, the cost
of building solar projects has come down significantly in recent
years, making it more cost-competitive with other sources of power
generation. And solar gives us the ability to add power capacity in
incremental steps – allowing us to match the growing demand for
electricity in the region."
Duke Energy plans to begin construction later this summer and
hopes to complete the majority of construction activity by the end
of 2017. Once operational, the combined projects will generate
about 6.8 megawatts, which, at peak production, can provide
electricity for about 1,300 average-sized homes.
Crittenden and Walton solar
power plants to power homes and businesses
Two of the
projects, Walton Solar Power Plants
1 & 2, will be built in Kenton
County on parts of a 60-acre property at 352 York Road. In
total, Duke Energy will install about 19,000 solar panels at the
site, which will be capable of producing more than 4 megawatts of
electricity.
The Crittenden Solar Power Plant will be located off I-75 in
Grant County on portions of a
110-acre site at 922 Ruark Road. This solar array will include
about 12,500 panels, and will be able to generate more than 2.7
megawatts of electricity.
All of the electricity created from the three solar projects
will be fed onto Duke Energy Kentucky's electric grid and delivered
to homes, businesses, schools, places of worship and other
customers in the area.
A diversity of energy sources
The solar power plants
in Northern Kentucky will help
diversify and complement Duke Energy Kentucky's existing power
generation fleet, which includes a 650-megawatt coal-fired plant
that typically runs 24/7 and a 500-megawatt gas-fired facility that
the company activates when power demand is high – like on hot
summer afternoons.
Duke Energy has more than a decade of experience in the
renewable energy business, and is one of the nation's top-five
renewable energy companies – having invested more than $5 billion in renewable energy over the past 10
years.
Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky
Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky's operations provide electric service
to about 850,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers
in a 3,000-square-mile service area and natural gas service to
approximately 529,000 customers.
Headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding
companies in the United States.
Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves
approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the
Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas Utilities and
Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to
approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business
unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across
the United States.
Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York
Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the
company is available at duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for
journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and
videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about people, innovations, and community
and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and
insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Media contact: Lee Freedman
513.287.4152 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853
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SOURCE Duke Energy