Duke Energy continues to expand solar power in North Carolina with its 22.6 MW Stony Knoll Solar power plant in Surry County now in operation. The project is owned and operated by Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions (DESS). The project was selected as part of the competitive bidding process established by 2017’s solar legislation in North Carolina.

The solar plant, which contains 76,600 panels with single-axis tracking, is located on 195 acres in Dobson, N.C. The facility’s design and construction of the project were performed by SOLV Energy. The solar power generated by the project will be delivered through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

“In addition to our many renewable energy projects across the nation, North Carolina continues to be fertile ground for solar power,” states Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions. “With the help of our partners in Surry County, we have brought online the largest solar power plant in the county.”

North Carolina is fourth in the nation for overall solar energy. The outlook is promising for more solar energy in the future as Duke Energy develops a proposed Carolinas Carbon Plan, which will be submitted to regulators in May.

“Solar power continues to play a vital part of our clean energy transition,” says Stephen De May, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “We expect renewables to grow significantly in the years ahead as we focus on meeting our customers’ needs for increasingly clean energy.”