Power company chooses county in region for new solar power plants

DUETTE — Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy, recently announced east Manatee County will be the site of one of three new solar power plants.

The Manatee County plant will be in Duette, on some 520 acres, according to a statement. Once operational, the 74.5-megawatt facility will consist of approximately 227,000 single-axis tracking solar panels, capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 23,000 homes at peak production annually, according to a statement.

The two other Duke Energy Florida solar power plants will be built in Hardee and Alachua counties, the release states. During construction, each solar project creates approximately 200 to 300 temporary jobs. All three solar power plants will be owned, operated and maintained by Duke Energy Florida and are expected to be finished in late 2021, the release states.