US utility Duke Energy received bids adding up to a cumulative 3.9 GW of solar power capacity in the form of 78 projects for the first tranche of a competitive bidding process it launched in 2018, offering 680 MW of large-scale capacity.
This 680 MW new solar capacity will be added in 2019 and the competitive procurement process is being overseen by an independent administrator. Duke Energy says all the 78 projects submitted offer energy prices below the company's avoided cost. Selected projects can be built in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Winners will be announced later in 2019.
In 2018, Duke Energy connected over 500 MW large-scale solar power capacity to the electricity system, taking the overall connected solar power capacity in the last 4 years to more than 2.5 GW in the Carolinas. Latest in this list is the 6 MW Woodleaf Solar Facility in Rowan County.
It is also active in the distributed solar segment under the company's renewable energy programs as solar rebates, shared solar, solar leasing and the like.
100 MW Lapetus Solar Energy Project
In related development, Duke Energy's subsidiary Duke Energy Renewables has purchased 100 MW Lapetus Solar Energy Project from US based solar power developer 7X Energy, Inc. The first large-scale solar project in Andrews County, the 100 MW project is in last stages of development. Once 7X transitions it to Duke Energy, the latter will manage construction, and will also own and operate the plant. Financial terms of the deal were not shared.
Construction on the project sitting on some 800-acres site will begin before the end of March 2019, and it will enter commercial operations by the end of 2019.
Duke Energy Renewables acquires, develops, builds and operates wind and solar power generation facilities in the US. With 64 solar and 21 wind power utility scale projects, Duke Energy Renewables' has total assets of about 2.9 GW.