Duke Energy Florida filed plans with the Florida Public Service Commission on November 10, 2026, to build four solar sites that would add 300 megawatts by mid-2028. The utility estimates the projects would save customers about $1 billion over their operating lives. The plan still needs the commission’s approval.
Key points
- Duke Energy Florida plans four solar sites, three in Orange County and one in Sumter County, with a combined 300 MW.
- Construction is scheduled to start between January and May 2027, with all sites tentatively in service by June 2028.
- The company estimates each site would avoid about $250 million in fuel costs over roughly 30 years of operation.
- Duke Energy Florida says each site could power about 15,000 homes.
- The utility already owns and operates 25 solar sites totaling 1,850 MW.
The four planned Duke Energy Florida solar sites
| Site | County | Construction start | Expected completion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Renewable Energy Center | Orange | January 2027 | February 2028 |
| Bull Creek Renewable Energy Center | Orange | March 2027 | April 2028 |
| Hogeye Renewable Energy Center | Sumter | May 2027 | May 2028 |
| Wewahootee Renewable Energy Center | Orange | May 2027 | June 2028 |
Source: Duke Energy, November 10, 2026.
Duke Energy Florida calls the June 2028 in-service date tentative. The schedule is pending approval by the Florida Public Service Commission, WKMG News 6 reported on November 11. Duke Energy Florida did not give a construction cost for the four sites in its announcement.
What Duke says about the $1 billion in savings
The savings estimate is the company’s own, and the announcement does not show how the $1 billion total is calculated. Duke Energy Florida says each site would save customers about $250 million in displaced fuel costs over roughly 30 years of operation.
The company also says each site would avoid burning about 12,000 barrels of fuel oil and 9,000 tons of coal a year.
Separately, the utility says it passes about $75 million a year in federal production tax credits to customers, cutting monthly bills by at least $2.50 per 1,000 kWh, and expects that amount to grow as more solar sites come online. WKMG notes that the announcement does not say how much an individual customer’s bill would drop because of the new sites.
Why it matters
The new sites would add about 16% to Duke Energy Florida’s current 1,850 MW of solar. The utility serves 2 million customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area and has 12,500 MW of total generating capacity, according to the company.
Florida generated 266.1 million megawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, the second-most of any state, and natural gas is its primary energy source, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Each new site would displace about 9,000 tons of coal a year, according to Duke; our guide to the disadvantages of coal energy covers the costs of burning it.
Duke Energy Florida also says it plans to build more than 1 GW of battery storage over the next 10 years.
What’s next
The Florida Public Service Commission will review the filing. If it is approved, construction at the first site, Nova in Orange County, is scheduled to begin in January 2027, and the last site, Wewahootee, is expected to be finished in June 2028.
Sources
- Duke Energy Florida plans 4 new solar energy sites to deliver $1B in customer savings — Duke Energy, November 10, 2026
- Florida Electricity Profile 2024 — U.S. Energy Information Administration, November 10, 2025
- Duke Energy says it can save customers $1B. Here’s how — WKMG News 6 (ClickOrlando), November 11, 2026
