Tampa Electric will remain Florida’s solar energy leader
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) this week approved the cost-effectiveness of Tampa Electric’s current phase of solar development, for one project coming online in January.
This approval is for the fourth phase of solar expansion, the 60-megawatt (MW) Durrance Solar project in Polk County, which is currently under construction. Tampa Electric’s first three phases of solar construction – nine projects totaling more than 572 megawatts (MW) – came online between 2018 and 2020 and were previously approved by the PSC. This phase is scheduled to be complete in January 2021.
“This solar expansion is part of our transformation to become cleaner and greener,” said Nancy Tower, president and chief executive officer of the Tampa-based utility. “This is clean, renewable energy that benefits all Tampa Electric customers today and for future generations. It is a win for our customers and a win for the environment.”
Tampa Electric’s residential bills are among the lowest in Florida and are expected to remain so in 2021; the solar project’s impact on customers’ bills in January will be 44 cents per month for the average residential customer.
By 2023, Tampa Electric will have invested more than $1.8 billion in 1,255 MW of solar projects, which is enough electricity to power more than 200,000 homes. When complete, about 14 percent of Tampa Electric's energy generation will come from the sun – a higher percentage of solar than any other Florida utility.
Tampa Electric, one of Florida’s largest investor-owned electric utilities, serves about 780,000 customers in West Central Florida. Tampa Electric is a subsidiary of Emera Inc., a geographically diverse energy and services company headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
