Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has announced its sustainable expansion plans with the development of more solar energy capacity.
To facilitate cost -effective solar growth in the country, FPL aims completion of three new solar photovoltaic power plants before the end of 2016.
The new three plant sites include FPL Citrus Solar Energy Center at DeSoto County, FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center at Charlotte County and FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center.
Each of the new plants is being designed for almost 74 megawatts of capacity.
These new plants, combined with community-based solar installations and other small-scale arrays will total around 225 megawatts of new solar capacity.
These new capacity may be added at the cost of retirement of some old fossil fuel-burning units, with the aim of promoting clean energy portfolio.
Currently, solar power is not cost effective in FPL’s service area, due to its higher costs and low electric rates.
FPL anticipates the need for additional firm power generation from 2019, when its total number of customers will hit top 5 million.
To meet this need, FPL intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) during the first quarter of 2015 to invite prospective bids.
Since 2001, the company through its significant investments has saved more than $7.5 billion on fuel and prevented more than 85 million tons of carbon emissions.
By the summer of 2015, the new Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority (SWA) waste-to-energy plant will be commissioned, doubling the site’s renewable energy capacity.
FPL buys this renewable energy from SWA and uses it to power all FPL customers via its grid.
In addition, FPL completed in 2013 the largest nuclear expansion in recent U.S. history.
FPL serves more than 4.7 million customers across half of Florida, operating a diverse portfolio of energy sources to power the state’s growing economy.
Shortly, company will develop a cost-effective plan to triple the amount of solar energy use by 2016, which at present totals 110 MW.
Sabeena Wahid
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