The solar facilities are expected to become operational in 2022 and 2023

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Image: The approval marks a major step ahead in OUC’s transition to renewable energy resources. Photo courtesy of andreas160578 from Pixabay.

The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) has approved a plan to add 149MW of new solar power to OUC’s generation portfolio.

The approval marks a major step ahead in OUC’s transition to renewable energy resources.

The addition of new solar capacity is expected to deliver sufficient electricity to power 27,000 residential customers.

At a monthly meeting, OUC has been given an approval by the Commissioners to negotiate two separate 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA) with clean-energy company Invenergy.

Invenergy will build and operate two 74.5MW solar facilities under the proposed PPAs.

To be located near existing OUC transmission lines in Osceola County, each of the facilities will be spread over an area of 500 acres.

The solar facilities are expected to become operational in 2022 and 2023.

OUC General Manager and CEO Clint Bullock said: “As Orlando has grown and transformed over the years, so has OUC. And now, OUC is powering the rapid growth of our community with clean, renewable energy and innovative storage technologies.”

OUC to be the largest user of solar energy in Florida

According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the addition of new solar capacity, along with the 108.5MW of solar capacity that is scheduled to come online in 2020, the proposed PPAs will make OUC the largest user of solar energy in Florida on a watt-per-customer basis.

OUC offers electric and water services to over 400,000 customer accounts in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties.

In May 2018, OUC – The Reliable One joined 11 municipal utilities from across Florida to sign an agreement at the Florida Solar Energy Center to build three solar farms.

The facilities will comprise 900,000 solar panels to provide energy for as many as 45,000 homes.

Located on 1,200 acres in rural Orange and Osceola counties, the solar sites will have a combined capacity of 223.5MW.

OUC signed an agreement to purchase 108.5MW of solar energy, which is enough for more than 20,000 residential customers.