Duke Energy Renewables, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, announced that nine solar projects developed with SolAmerica Energy totaling 14.1 megawatts (MW) have begun commercial operations across central Georgia under Georgia Power’s Renewable Energy Development Initiative. These projects bring Duke Energy Renewables, operating through its REC Solar business unit, to 27.4 MW of solar projects in Georgia.
The nine solar projects, which were acquired by Duke Energy Renewables in 2018, are expected to contribute $10 million to local communities in leasing and taxes. A total of 54,590 solar panels were built into the projects. The last site began commercial operations in May 2019.
Each project was developed under an engineering, production and procurement (EPC) agreement between REC Solar and SolAmerica and a 35-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Georgia Power, selling all energy and renewable attributes to Georgia Power as a part of their Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI) Customer-Sited Distributed Generation Program.
The nine projects now in operation include:
| Bibb Jones | .996 MW | Macon, GA |
| Columbia Bryson | 1.38 MW | Grovetown, GA |
| Liberty Martin | .996 MW | Riceboro, GA |
| Muscogee Public Works | 1.56 MW | Columbus, GA |
| Richmond Hayes | 1.75 MW | Augusta, GA |
| Telfair Holland | .960 MW | McRae Helena, GA |
| Telfair Thompson | 1.90 MW | McRae, GA |
| Troup RC50 | 2.30 MW | Pine Mountain, GA |
| Wilkinson DeFore | 2.30 MW | Gordon, GA |
Duke Energy says it is on track to own or purchase 8,000 megawatts of wind, solar and biomass energy by 2020.