Orlando Utility Approves 149 MW Solar Capacity

• OUC Commissioners approve two solar PV projects with 149 MW capacity to be added to OUC's generation portfolio; energy storage will also be tested
• These projects with 74.5 MW capacity each will come online in 2022 and 2023
• OUC has got the go ahead to negotiate two 20-year PPAs with Invenergy that will build and operate the plants

Two solar power projects with 74.5 MW capacity each have been approved by the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC). These projects will be developed by clean energy company Invenergy which will then supply power to OUC under two separate 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA). Invenergy will build and operate the two plants.

OUC commissioners have given green light to negotiate the contracts with Invenergy. An energy storage component will be added to the portfolio to test its viability.

Both the projects will be built near existing OUC transmission lines in Osceola County, said OUC that expects these plants to come online in 2022 and 2023.

The second largest municipal utility in Florida, OUC provides water and electricity services to end consumers. Along with these proposed PPAs, OUC cites Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to say that it has 108.5 MW of solar expected to come online in 2020, and altogether these will make OUC the largest user of solar energy in Florida on a watt-per-customer basis

Invenergy is currently working on some corporate solar power sourcing projects; PPAs were signed with regional utilities and with Facebook and Google. In March 2019, the company signed a 15-year PPA with Microsoft for its 74 MW Wilkinson Solar Energy Centre in North Carolina (see Invenergy To Build 74 MW Solar Plant For Microsoft).