Duke Energy Commercial Solar Power Project Producing Electricity in Shelby, N.C.

May 26, 2010

by North Carolina RealEstateRama

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – May 26, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — A one-megawatt solar power project owned and operated by a Duke Energy commercial business unit is now producing clean, renewable electricity for North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 (NCMPA1), which serves the city of Shelby, N.C.

NCMPA1 and its 19 member organizations will buy all of the output from the Shelby Solar Project for the next 20 years under the terms of its power purchase agreement with Duke Energy Generation Services (DEGS), a Duke Energy Commercial Businesses unit.

NCMPA1 will also receive all associated renewable energy credits (RECs) from the project. These RECs help the power agency meet the N.C. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard requirement to obtain 0.2 percent of its energy through solar resources by 2018.

The Shelby Solar Project’s one-megawatt (MW) direct current output – equivalent to 0.94 MW alternating current – will generate enough electricity to power approximately 140 homes on an annual basis.

SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWRA, SPWRB) designed and built the solar photovoltaic system at the Shelby site. The company installed 4,500 crystalline silicon panels mounted on SunPower Tracker® technology, which uses a global positioning satellite system to follow the sun’s movement during the day. This increases sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over conventional fixed-tilt systems, while significantly reducing land use requirements.

The city of Shelby provided the land for the project, which is located near the Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport. The Shelby City Council approved leasing the 10-acre site for the project.

The Shelby Solar Project is DEGS’ first renewable energy facility in North Carolina. DEGS is also building the 16-MW direct current (14-MW alternating current) Blue Wing Solar Project in San Antonio, Texas. Blue Wing is scheduled for commercial operation in the fourth quarter of 2010, when it will begin supplying electricity to San Antonio-based CPS Energy, one of the largest municipality-owned utilities in the U.S.

About DEGS and Duke Energy
Duke Energy Generation Services is a leader in developing innovative renewable energy solutions, including wind, solar and biopower projects. DEGS builds, owns and operates electric generation for large energy consumers, municipalities, utilities and industrial facilities. DEGS is also working to build commercial transmission capacity to help the U.S. meet its energy needs of the future.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com. To learn more and contribute to the discussion about the energy issues of today and the possibilities of tomorrow, visit www.sheddingalight.org.

About NCMPA1
North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 (NCMPA1) – More than 70 North Carolina public power communities, municipally owned and operated electric systems, serve more than 500,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina. Most have been providing reliable electric service for 100 years or more. NCMPA1 has 19 member cities in the western part of North Carolina. More information about NCMPA1 is available at www.ncpublicpower.com.