Owned and operated by Duke Energy Progress (DEP), the power plant is planned to be commissioned in 2015 and will help Duke Energy’s efforts to diversify its energy mix and meet the North Carolina Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard.

Duke Energy Distributed Energy senior vice president Resources Rob Caldwell said: "This project strengthens Duke Energy’s commitment to bring more solar power to our customers, while advancing the Department of the Navy’s (DON) interest in installing more renewable energy at military bases around the U.S."

Power generated from the facility will be available to DEP customers and Camp Lejeune will continue to purchase power from DEP.

The Department of the Navy’s Renewable Energy Program Office executive director Robert Griffin said: "Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus set an aggressive but critical goal for the DON to produce or procure one gigawatt of renewable energy by the end of 2015.

"Through an effective partnership with DEP, and once both parties sign the lease agreement, the project at Camp Lejeune will be another opportunity to bring renewable energy online, providing greater resource availability, and diversity for Camp Lejeune and the surrounding community."