Thanks to a recent collaboration between Duke Energy Florida and One Tree Planted, customers who subscribe to the company's community solar program, Clean Energy Connection, will have the opportunity to support clean energy and contribute to restoration efforts at one of Florida's most-treasured state forests.
Through the program, Duke Energy Florida customers can subscribe to solar power and earn credits toward their electricity bills without the commitment of installing or maintaining rooftop panels. And, for every kilowatt a residential customer subscribes to the program before Nov. 15, the company will work with One Tree Planted to plant a tree in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest in Polk County.
"At Duke Energy Florida, we are committed to delivering a cleaner, brighter energy future for our customers, communities and the environment."
said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president.
By working with agencies like One Tree Planted, we are able to deliver on that commitment and provide customers with an opportunity to support renewable energy and protect Florida's environment.
[Source: PR Newswire]
One Tree Planted will plant longleaf pines and South Florida slash pines on two sites in the state forest. The project is expected to improve the quality of recreational opportunities and improve the soil and water for the plants and animals that live here. Customers who enroll before Nov. 15 will add to the more than 7,000 trees being planted on behalf of the company's current subscribers.
The Lake Wales Ridge State Forest is home to threatened and endangered plant and animal species including the Florida scrub-jay, gopher tortoise, papery Whitlow-wort, Florida blazing star, and cutthroat grass.
How the community solar program works
Customers subscribe to a portion of solar energy from the company's Clean Energy Connection solar portfolio. The monthly subscription fee will help pay for the cost of construction and operation of the renewable energy centers and is conveniently added to a customer's regular electric bill. Customers also receive a corresponding subscription credit that represents their share of the energy produced by the solar centers in a given month, multiplied by the subscription credit rate, which begins to escalate annually after three continuous years of subscription in the program.