Duke Energy has started construction on two major solar projects in North Carolina.
Duke Energy’s solar power projects:
# The 69-megawatt (MW) Maiden Creek solar facility, located on Didley Dadburn Road in the Catawba County town of Maiden
# The 25-MW Gaston solar facility located on Neal Road in the Gaston County town of Bessemer City
The projects were selected as part of a competitive bidding process that was established from 2017’s solar legislation in North Carolina. The projects were among the most cost-effective and will deliver clean solar energy at the lowest possible cost.
“This project will bring jobs to our community during construction and generate clean energy for years to come,” Randy Isenhower, chair, Catawba County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement.
The projects will feature about 400,000 solar panels and generate enough energy to power approximately 20,000 homes and businesses. Both projects are scheduled to come online by the end of this year. At peak construction, a combined 380 workers will be employed at the two sites.
Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, said: “We participated in a rigorous bidding process – competing with other companies to bring more renewable energy to the state.”
Duke Energy maintains more than 3,300 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 40 solar facilities in the state. North Carolina currently ranks No. 2 in the nation for overall solar power.