Orlando commissioners approve development of 149 MW of solar projects in Osceola County

The Orlando Utilities Commission has given its approval of a plan to add 149 megawatts of solar power to OUC’s generation portfolio. The additional solar capacity would provide enough energy to power 27,000 residential customers.

Commissioners gave OUC the go-ahead to negotiate two separate 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA) with clean-energy provider Invenergy.

Under the proposed PPAs, Invenergy would build and operate two 74.5 megawatt solar arrays, each covering 202 hectares (500 acres), near existing OUC transmission lines in Osceola County. The arrays would come online in 2022 and 2023. OUC also plans to test battery storage as a back-up generation when cloud cover or nightfall inhibit solar power production.