A look at OUC's expansive solar initiative for business and residential customers in Central Florida
As Central Florida's commercial development accelerates, so too does demand for resilient, sustainable power. To meet that challenge and position the region for a low-carbon future, the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC— The Reliable One) has officially commenced operation of the largest solar project in its 100-year history: the Harmony II Solar Energy Center and the Storey Bend Solar Energy Center.
Spanning over 1,200 acres in Osceola County and equipped with nearly 400,000 high-efficiency solar panels, the dual-site project more than double the utility's solar generation to 271.5 megawatts, which is enough to power roughly 50,000 typical OUC-customer homes.
'As we officially launch these two solar energy centers, we're more than doubling OUC's solar energy capacity and helping our customers reach their clean energy goals while fulfilling our vision to be an innovative solutions provider and partner of choice in Central Florida,' said Clint Bullock, OUC General Manager & CEO
Designed with bifacial panels that rotate to follow the sun, the sites are optimized to maximize output throughout the day.
Strategic partnerships anchor the launch of SunChoice
Two prominent Central Florida institutions, AdventHealth and Comcast NBCUniversal, are early subscribers to OUC's SunChoice community solar program and are serving as anchor tenants for the new sites.
AdventHealth has committed to offsetting 50% of its energy usage in OUC's service territory through a subscription to the Harmony II facility, supporting sustainability goals without the need for onsite infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Comcast NBCUniversal, parent company of Universal Destinations & Experiences, has subscribed to solar output from Storey Bend, purchasing and matching 30% of the electricity used by the Universal Orlando Resort accounts included in the contract.
'We're pleased to support the local clean economy here in Florida while growing our business through Universal Destinations & Experiences,' said Tom Ciarlone, VP of Real Estate & Energy at Comcast NBCUniversal. 'Shifting to clean energy to help power our world-class theme parks is just another way we seek to provide our guests with more innovative and sustainable entertainment experiences.'
SunChoice: Solar at scale
The OUC SunChoice program offers customers the opportunity to help accelerate deployment of solar generation in Central Florida. As many businesses are deciding that they'd like the majority of their consumed energy to come from renewable sources, but may not have the capital costs to outlay, OUC SunChoice allows these customers to subscribe and offset up to 100% of their consumption, helping them make a demonstrated difference.
The benefits of SunChoice stem from the program's simplicity. With variants for both commercial and residential customers, SunChoice allows participants to offset a portion, or all, of their renewable energy consumption with solar energy.
Although commercial subscribers don't receive renewable energy directly generated by these solar energy centers, they do receive Green-e® Energy certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that's verified and retired in their name. These RECs serve as documentation of the customer's action to offset their consumption with a specific amount of renewable energy generated on their region's grid.
Most attractive to businesses, SunChoice eliminates the need for capital investment and logistical hurdles that often accompany solar adoption, making renewable energy an easy choice. For commercial customers, it presents an opportunity to enhance environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and achieve sustainability goals without the complications of installing and maintaining physical infrastructure.
'At OUC, we believe renewable energy isn't just the path to clean energy; it's part of the future of doing business in Central Florida,' said Bullock.
Enhancing solar growth
With the launch of the two new solar energy centers, OUC is reinforcing its reputation as one of the Southeast's most ambitious utilities when it comes to solar deployment. In 2024, the utility was named the No. 1 'SunRiser' by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy — a recognition awarded to utilities demonstrating the highest growth in solar watts per customer. This marked the sixth consecutive year that SACE has named OUC as a 'SunRiser' among utilities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
For developers, institutions and growing enterprises, programs like SunChoice offer a direct pathway to align energy strategy with sustainability goals — at scale and without added complexity.
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