Duke Energy’s largest solar farm to date is now operating in Navarro County, Texas.
Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions developed and owns the 250 MW Pisgah Ridge Solar project. The engineering and construction for the project was performed by Moss.
Three virtual power purchase agreements were signed to finance the project.
Pharmaceutical company Charles River Laboratories International signed a VPPA for 102 MW of the project over the next 15 years. The commitment will address the entirety of the company’s North American electric power load with clean, renewable energy by 2023.
Midwest retailer Meijer signed a separate 15-year VPPA agreement for 83 MW of solar energy generated by the Pisgah Ridge Solar project. One other company has a third 15-year VPPA agreement. Together, the three agreements account for more than 90% of the facility’s output.
All three VPPAs associated with the site will settle on an as-generated basis tied to the project’s real-time energy output.
Currently, Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, the non-regulated clean energy development arm of Duke Energy, operates nearly 1,500 MW of wind, 750 MW of solar, and a 36-MW battery storage facility in Texas.
The project employed around 300 workers at peak construction.
