CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy
continues to expand solar power in North
Carolina with construction starting on its 22.6-megawatt
(MW) Stony Knoll Solar power plant. Once completed, it will be the
largest solar plant in Surry
County.
The project will be owned and operated by Duke Energy
Sustainable Solutions.* The project was selected as part of the
competitive bidding process established by 2017's solar legislation
in North Carolina.
The solar plant will contain 76,600 Trina Solar bifacial modules with single-axis
tracking. The plant will be located on 195 acres in Dobson, N.C. – near Rockford Road. The
facility will power the equivalent of 5,000 homes. It is targeting
commercial operation by the end of 2021.
"Duke Energy is bringing more carbon-free, renewable energy to
customers in North Carolina. We're
pleased to add Surry County to our
ever-growing list of solar locations as we significantly reduce
carbon emissions on our path to achieve net-zero carbon emissions
by 2050," said Stephen De May, Duke
Energy's North Carolina
president.
Under North Carolina's
Competitive Procurement for Renewable Energy, proposed projects
must be built where there is a need for energy capacity on the Duke
Energy system in North Carolina or
South Carolina. The bids can come
from any company, including Duke Energy, and can be in the form of
power purchase agreements (PPA), utility self-developed facilities
or utility asset acquisitions.
"We're pleased to continue to build upon the renewable energy
resources in the state. The Stony Knoll solar project marks the
third facility that we have announced in North Carolina this year and demonstrates our
continued commitment to increasing clean energy generation in the
state," said Chris Fallon, president
of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions.
During peak construction, Stony Knoll Solar will create about 70
jobs. Along with indirect economic benefits that accompany solar
project development, such as increased local spending in the
service and construction industries, Stony Knoll Solar will also
have a positive economic impact on the local community by providing
local tax revenues to the county and local school districts, as
well as meaningful payments to the participating landowners.
Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions also supports the communities
where its facilities and team members are based through the efforts
of the Duke Energy Foundation. In January, the company awarded
$10,000 to Copeland Elementary School
in Dobson to fund the purchase of
Chromebooks for students.
The facility's design, procurement of inverters, balance of
plant systems and construction of the project will be performed by
Swinerton Renewable Energy. The energy generated by Stony Knoll
will be delivered through a 20-year power purchase agreement with
Duke Energy Carolinas.
A leader in renewable energy
Duke Energy maintains more than 3,700 MW of solar power on its
energy grid in North Carolina,
which could power about 700,000 homes and businesses at peak
output. The company also operates more than 40 solar facilities in
the state. North Carolina
currently ranks No. 3 in the nation for overall solar power. With
nuclear, hydro and renewable energy, more than half of North Carolina's energy mix is
carbon-free.
As one of the nation's top renewable energy providers, Duke
Energy plans to double its enterprisewide renewable portfolio from
8 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to 16 GW by the end of 2025.
Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions
Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a nonregulated commercial
brand of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) – a Fortune 150 company and one of
the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. – headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C.
Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a leader in sustainable
energy, helping large enterprises reduce power costs, lower
emissions and increase resiliency. The team provides wind, solar,
resilient backup power and managed energy services to over 1,000
projects across the U.S., with a total electric capacity of more
than 5,100 megawatts of nonregulated renewable energy. Visit Duke
Energy Sustainable Solutions and follow on LinkedIn and YouTube for
more information.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy strategy to
create a smarter energy future for its customers and communities –
with goals of at least a 50% carbon reduction by 2030 and net-zero
carbon emissions by 2050. The company is a top U.S. renewable
energy provider, on track to operate or purchase 16,000 megawatts
of renewable energy capacity by 2025. More information about the
company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News
Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and
other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about
people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements.
This document includes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking
statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions. These
forward-looking statements are identified by terms and phrases such
as "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "estimate," "expect,"
"continue," "should," "could," "may," "plan," "project," "predict,"
"will," "potential," "forecast," "target," "outlook," "guidance,"
and similar expressions. Various factors may cause actual results
to be materially different than the suggested outcomes within
forward-looking statements; accordingly, there is no assurance that
such results will be realized. These risks and uncertainties are
identified and discussed in Duke Energy's most recent Annual Report
on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and available
at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In light of these risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the
forward-looking statements might not occur or might occur to a
different extent or at a different time than Duke Energy has
described. Duke Energy expressly disclaims an obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
* Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions is a non-regulated
commercial brand of Duke Energy Corporation, which includes the
following subsidiaries of Duke Energy Corporation that are
registered to transact business in various states and may be
branded as Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions for marketing
purposes: Duke Energy One, Inc.; Duke Energy Commercial
Enterprises, Inc.; Duke Energy Renewables, Inc.; Duke Energy
Renewables Commercial, LLC; Duke Energy Renewable Services, LLC.;
Duke Energy Renewables Storage, LLC; Duke Energy Renewables Wind,
LLC.; Duke Energy Renewables Solar, LLC.; and REC Solar Commercial
Corporation.
Contact: Randy Wheeless
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_RandyW
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SOURCE Duke Energy