Citrus Combined Cycle Station
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Duke Energy broke ground on the new facility in March 2016 and held a ceremonial grand opening on April 4, 2019. More than 300 people attended.
The $1.5 billion station is serving 4.5 million Floridians and has replaced generation from plant retirements, including two 1960s-era coal-fired units and a nuclear plant.
Construction and related activities helped power economic growth in the area, creating thousands of temporary jobs and increasing the tax base.
Economic benefits
The project provided more than $600 million in economic benefits during construction and will provide about $13 million annually during the station's 35-year operational life.During the height of construction, the project also created about 3,000 temporary construction jobs and provided work to more than 100 companies locally, across the U.S. and around the world.
The new station is expected to generate about $4 million in new Citrus County property taxes for 2019.
Environmentally responsible
Combined-cycle natural gas units generate energy more efficiently and release significantly lower emissions than coal-fired units.By investing in the new Citrus station, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other emissions are expected to drop by 90 percent in comparison to the operation at Crystal River coal-fired units 1 and 2.
Duke Energy announced the decision to retire these units in May 2014 due to changing federal environmental regulations.
The coal-fired units formally retired on Dec. 31, 2018, and the demolition process is expected to last through 2023.
About the station
The Citrus Combined Cycle Station is co-located at the 5,100-acre Crystal River Energy Complex on Florida's Gulf Coast about 85 miles north of Tampa. The complex is also home to two operating coal-fired units, two retired coal-fired units, a decommissioning nuclear plant and a mariculture center that grows and then releases fish into Gulf of Mexico waters.The Citrus station has two power blocks, four combustion turbine generators and two steam turbine generators – providing the latest technology with a proven performance. Learn more about how the new station works.
Megawatts from the new station combined with the two operating coal-fired units make the Crystal River Energy Complex one of Duke Energy's largest generators in Florida, capable of producing more than 3,000 megawatts of energy. One megawatt powers about 800 average homes.
The new station receives natural gas through the new 515-mile Sabal Trail pipeline. The $3.2 billion pipeline starts in Alabama, extends through Georgia and ends in central Florida. Duke Energy is a 7.5-percent owner of the pipeline.
Combined-cycle Natural Gas Plant in Citrus County, Fla.
April 4, 2019: Duke Energy 'flips the switch' at ceremonial grand opening of new Citrus Combined Cycle Station in Florida
Nov. 30, 2018: All fired up! Duke Energy's new $1.5 billion natural gas power plant opens to serve 1.8 million Floridians
April 3, 2018: Duke Energy Florida nears completion of state-of-the-art-natural gas plant
May 18, 2016: Hundreds of temporary construction workers needed to build Duke Energy's natural gas plant in Citrus County, Florida
Feb. 25, 2016: Duke Energy celebrates construction of new natural gas plant with outdoor ceremony
Oct. 22, 2015: Get plugged into vendor opportunities with the Citrus County combined-cycle natural gas plant project
June 16, 2014: Open house scheduled on proposed combined-cycle natural gas plant in Citrus County, Fla.
May 13, 2014: Duke Energy Florida proposes new generation investments to benefit customers, increase reliability
Sept. 24, 2013: Duke Energy Florida will issue a Request for Proposals for new generation in Citrus County
Aug. 1, 2013: Duke Energy reaches revised multi-year settlement with Florida consumer advocates
Feb. 5, 2013: Crystal River Nuclear Plant to be retired; company evaluating sites for potential new gas-fueled generation