Duke Energy Florida Completes Latest Natural Gas Plant Upgrades Contributing To $340 Million In Annual Fuel Savings For Customers

Duke Energy Florida has completed efficiency upgrades at Bartow Power Plant in St. Petersburg and two units at Hines Energy Complex in Bartow, allowing the plants to produce a total of 255 megawatts (MW) of additional energy with the same amount of fuel.

Including the 60-MW capacity improvement previously completed at the Osprey Energy Center in Auburndale and approximately 16 MW added at the Citrus Combined Cycle Station in Crystal River this fall, more than 330 MW of capacity have been added to the system. These are the latest in a series of ongoing improvements to the company’s fleet of natural gas plants that have and will continue to generate considerable savings for customers.

Why it matters

• These projects have now been completed at four natural gas plants across Florida, translating into more than 330 MW of capacity added to the electric grid (roughly the output of a small power plant) and an estimated $340 million in annual fuel savings for customers.
   
• Because Duke Energy Florida passes the cost of fuel directly to its customers – it does not profit in any way – the average monthly bill has been reduced by about $10.
   
• It also saved customers an additional $70 million in 2025 from reducing the need to purchase additional power.
   
• Duke Energy Florida plans to finish the remaining work by early 2027, adding more than 450 MW to the grid.  
   
  • The next round will take place at additional units at the Citrus Combined Cycle Station in Crystal River and the Tiger Bay Power Plant in Fort Meade. 
     
• To date, the company’s annual carbon footprint has been cut by 325,000 tons of carbon as a result of these efforts.

Our view

“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, every single day, so we’re always looking for new, innovative ways to keep their costs as low as possible, while still providing the reliable, resilient power they need,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “We’re already reducing rates in early 2026, and these efficiency upgrades are just another tool in our toolbox – one that will have a lasting impact on their bills.”    

The big picture

• Efficient natural gas plants help keep Duke Energy Florida’s residential customer costs 12% below the national average.
   
• The ability to ramp natural gas plants up and down within minutes allows the company to immediately respond to increased energy demand.
   
• Natural gas plants also support the integration of additional renewable energy across Florida.

For more information and a map of Duke Energy Florida’s power plants, please click here and scroll down to “Florida” on the left side of the page.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.4 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 54,800 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. 

Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage. 

More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.