Florida Approves Duke’s 750-Megawatt Clean Energy Program

The Florida Public Service Commission on Jan 5 approved an agreement on Duke Energy Florida ’s Clean Energy Connection Program. The initiative allows the company to provide its customers with about 750 megawatts of new solar power and offer more options for residents, businesses, and local governments for voluntary participation.

The program allows customers to subscribe to kilowatt blocks of solar power from the company’s solar portfolio at a cost of $8.35 per unit. Participants are entitled to bill credits that reflect the estimated economic value of the program to Duke Energy’s system, consisting of reduced fuel, purchased power, and carbon emission costs, among others. The first three years of the program includes a bill-credit rate of 4.037 cents per kilowatt-hour, which will increase by 1.5 percent every year thereafter. They bill credits would vary according to subscription size and the actual solar energy produced through the program.

The initiative allocates 26 megawatts for low-income communities and 75 megawatts for local governments. The program will be open to small business and residential enrollment requests throughout 2021 with an aim to ensue power generation the year after. Florida Public Service Commission Chairman Gary Clark stated that the nuanced options for customers further the agenda of renewable energy and subsequently lessens carbon emissions.

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy Corp., provides energy services to approximately 1.8 million customers across the state.