DOBSON – Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) has begun construction on its 22.6-megawatt Stony Knoll Solar power plant, which will be owned and operated by Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a nonregulated commercial brand of Duke Energy.

The company announced a solar project in Catawba County in April.  Duke Energy set a target of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 earlier this year.

The plant, once completed, is expected to create about 70 jobs, according to Duke Energy, which Duke Energy stated will also come with indirect economic benefits to the regional economy by providing local tax revenues to Surry County and to local school districts.

The Surry County facility is the third solar power plant that the company has announced in 2021, said Chris Fallon, the president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, in a statement.

Once completed, the facility will power the equivalent of 5,000 homes, said Duke Energy, and the target completion date is to open for operation by the end of 2021.

IBM and Duke Energy executives discuss trends, future, of sustainability

The project was selected after a competitive bidding process established by legislation in 2017.  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 in North Carolina or South Carolina, the company stated.

According to Duke Energy, those bids could come from any company, including from Duke Energy, and could include a variety of forms, such as power purchase agreements (PPA), utility self-developed facilities, or utility asset acquisitions.

The company announced a solar project in Catawba County in April.  Duke Energy set a target of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 earlier this year.