FPL to Add 300MW of Solar Power to The Sunshine State
Four solar farms will generate the 300-megawatt capacity, enough to power about 60,000 homes and bring $26 million in net-savings to FPL customers over the long term.
Florida Power & Light Co. will build four new solar power plants this year, with commercial operation scheduled for 2020. Combined, the four facilities will have a capacity of 300 megawatts, sufficient to power about 60,000 homes.
Each of the four solar farms will have a capacity of 74.5 megawatts. Built cost-effectively, these will bring an additional $26 million in net-savings to FPL customers over the long term.
- FPL Okeechobee Solar Energy Center, Okeechobee County
- FPL Hibiscus Solar Energy Center, Palm Beach County
- FPL Echo River Solar Energy Center, Suwannee County
- FPL Southfork Solar Energy Center, Manatee County
“The construction of four additional solar energy centers is just the latest demonstration of our laser focus on advancing solar energy for all of our customers, while keeping their bills lower than 90 percent of the country,” Eric Silagy, FPL president & CEO, said in prepared remarks. “These solar plants are part of our commitment to installing 30 million more solar panels by 2030 across more than 100 new solar sites, resulting in the creation of thousands of jobs here in our state.”
Florida ranked second in the nation in 2018 in solar employment, behind California, according to a report by The Solar Foundation. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity projects solar jobs to grow by more than 60 percent through 2026, compared to statewide job growth of about 10 percent. At peak construction, each FPL solar plant employs about 200 workers. FPL estimates that approximately 3,000 jobs have been created since 2016 when the company embarked on one of the largest solar expansions in the country.
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