A new 22.6MW solar farm is to be constructed in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. The solar farm will be constructed by Duke Energy and will be named Speedway Solar power plant. It will be constructed with about 77,000 Jinko bifacial modules all made with single-axis tracking. The project will be located on 185 acres of land and will generate enough electricity to power 5,000 homes. Commercial operation has been scheduled to begin by the end of 2021. The project will be operated and owned by Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. Under North Carolina’s Competitive Procurement for Renewable Energy, proposed projects must be built where there is a need for energy capacity on the Duke Energy system whether it be in North Carolina or South Carolina.
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During the peak construction period, the project will have around 70 construction workers on site. Speedway Solar will also have an economic impact on the local community by providing local tax revenues to the county and local school districts as well as indirect economic benefits that accompany solar project development such as increased local spending in the construction and service industries. Once operational, the project will sell the electricity it produces under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
“Duke Energy is making an aggressive push to expand renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions and achieve a net-zero carbon goal for 2050,” said Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “An expansion of solar power will be a key element of that effort.” “We’re pleased to be able to add more clean energy resources to the state. This facility will not only address the increasing clean energy needs of our communities but will also deliver significant economic benefits to Cabarrus County,” said the president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, Chris Fallon.
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