Duke Energy Florida will issue a Request for Proposals for new generation in Citrus County

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy Florida today announced that on Oct. 8, 2013, the company will issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to supply approximately 1,640 megawatts of generating capacity beginning in 2018.

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Proposals will compete with Duke Energy's self-build option consisting of a highly-efficient, combined-cycle, natural gas unit to be located in Citrus County, Florida.

"We have a need for significant generating capacity in 2018 and through the RFP process, we will be able to identify the most cost-effective, safe and reliable generation source for our customers," said Alex Glenn, Duke Energy state president - Florida.    

The RFP, which is being issued in accordance with Florida Public Service Commission rules, will be released on Oct. 8, 2013. Interested bidders must obtain the official RFP in order to participate and will be required to obtain updated RFP information regularly from the Duke Energy RFP Web site: http://www.duke-energy.com/floridarfp.

An RFP pre-release meeting is planned for Oct. 2, 2013, and a meeting for interested bidders will be held on Oct. 18, 2013. Both meetings will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. each day in the Cotillion-Terrace Room at the Marriott Westshore, 1001 N. Westshore Blvd. in Tampa, Fla.

Upon completion of screenings and evaluations, a short list of proposals will be announced in March 2014. Finalists are expected to be named in May 2014 and the award announcement is planned by August 2014.

Proposals must be received by 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013.

Beginning today, additional information about the pre-release of the RFP will be available to prospective bidders on the RFP website: http://www.duke-energy.com/floridarfp.

All inquiries or contact about the RFP, including questions of clarification, requests for additional information, and submission of proposals, must be directed in writing to:

Duke Energy Florida reserves the right to revise the schedule at any time, at the company's sole discretion. Depending on Duke Energy Florida's requirements to review the proposals, the company may shorten or lengthen the schedule and revise the dates associated with the schedule.

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), provides electricity and related services to approximately 1.7 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Duke Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. More information is available at www.duke-energy.com. 

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com. 

Contact: Sterling Ivey
Office: 727.820.4722 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853

SOURCE Duke Energy