Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) announced plans to build four new solar power plants this year that are expected to begin powering customers in early 2020:
- 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% of the country,” said Eric Silagy, FPL president and CEO. “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.”
New statistics demonstrate the positive impact Florida’s solar expansion continues to have on job creation in the state. Florida ranked second in the nation in 2018 in solar employment, behind California, according to a recent report by The Solar Foundation. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity projects solar jobs to grow by more than 60% through 2026, compared to statewide job growth of about 10%. At peak construction, each FPL solar plant employs about 200 workers. FPL estimates that about 3,000 jobs have been created since 2016 when the company embarked on one of the largest solar expansions in the country.
Each of the new FPL solar plants will be capable of generating 74.5 MW of power, for a combined addition of nearly 300 MW of new solar capacity. Built cost-effectively, the new solar plants will bring an additional $26 million in net-savings to FPL customers over the long-term.
News item from FPL
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