Duke Energy Florida Brings 74.9 MW Bailey Mill Solar Center Online
Jefferson County Site Is Expected To Save Customers US$250 Million In Fuel Costs Over Its Lifetime
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, has completed construction of the Bailey Mill Solar Center near Monticello in Jefferson County, Florida. The 74.9 MW site uses 163,000 solar panels and, at peak production, can generate enough electricity to power about 15,000 homes.
The company expects Bailey Mill to save customers about US$250 million in fuel costs over its service life. Duke Energy Florida estimates that at peak output, the site will displace about 1.2 million ft.3 (33,980 m3) of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil, and 12,000 tons (10,900 tonnes) of coal each year.
Bailey Mill is one of five solar sites Duke Energy Florida has completed since 2025. The utility now operates more than 25 solar sites with about 1850 MW of combined capacity, and it estimates that every four solar sites it completes save customers about US$1 billion in fuel costs over their service lives.
Duke Energy Florida plans to complete 11 more solar sites before the end of 2028 and expects to have more than 5500 MW of utility-scale solar capacity by the end of 2033. The utility owns 12,500 MW of generating capacity and serves about 2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile (33,700 km²) service area.
“The launch of Bailey Mill is another step toward lowering long-term energy costs for our customers,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “Every solar site we bring online reduces the amount of fuel we need to purchase, and those savings go directly to our customers’ bills. We’re grateful to the Jefferson County community for partnering with us to make this project possible.”
