US: With completion of Los Vientos V, Duke Energy Renewables racks up more than 600 megawatts of wind and solar power in 2015

With this site on line as of late December, the business added 400 MW of wind and 200 MW of solar power to its U.S. renewables portfolio in 2015.

"We've come a long way since we constructed our first 29-MW wind site in 2008," said Greg Wolf, president Duke Energy Commercial Portfolio. "The company surpassed the 2,000-MW milestone just six months ago, and we've continued to accelerate renewables growth to a year-end total approaching 2,500 MW."

"This is a remarkable accomplishment for our renewables business, which has demonstrated consistent growth over its eight-year history," said Lynn Good, Duke Energy chairman, president and chief executive officer. "As we look forward, continued growth is important as Duke Energy transitions to an increasingly clean generation portfolio."

Garland Power & Light, Greenville Electric Utility System and Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) are purchasing the output from Los Vientos V through 25-year agreements. The facility produces enough emissions-free electricity to power about 33,000 average homes.

"These progressive municipal utilities are adding wind power to their mix in response to a greater demand for competitively-priced, clean, and sustainable energy," added Wolf. "We're proud to add them to our valued customer base."

In addition to Los Vientos V, Duke Energy Renewables completed the 200-MW Los Vientos III wind project last year and acquired half of the 211-MW Mesquite Creek wind site, which supplies energy to candy maker Mars, Inc.

Duke Energy Renewables also brought more than 200 MW of solar energy on line in 2015. It built eight solar projects in North Carolina, totaling about 160 MW, including the 80-MW Conetoe facility, the largest solar project operating east of the Mississippi to date. The business also completed the 20-MW Seville I and 30-MW Seville II solar power projects in California.