Duke Energy sets N.C. solar record

Duke Energy says it installed a record amount of solar power, totaling more than 300 megawatts, in North Carolina last year.

Duke spent $500 million to build four large solar farms within its regulated territory, totaling 141 megawatts, and buy 150 megawatts more from other developers. At peak output, that’s enough to power 60,000 homes.

Rob Caldwell, a Duke senior vice president, said Duke has announced it will build another 75 megawatts of solar power this year. Duke also signed up Google as its first customer in a new program that connects large power users to renewable energy.

Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit, built eight solar farms in the state last year totaling more than 160 megawatts. Among them was an 80-megawatt farm in Edgecombe County that will be the largest on the East coast.

Duke buys about 1,000 megawatts of solar energy through power purchase agreements in North Carolina.

North Carolina should rank second to California for construction of utility-scale solar farms in 2015, Duke said, citing the Energy Information Administration. The state ranks fourth in the U.S. for installed solar capacity.

Solar power’s rapid rise in the state has bred some conflicts, including Duke’s opposition last year to legislation that would let non-utility solar developers sell energy directly to their customers.

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Duke Energy sets N.C. solar record."