FLORIDA UTILITY TO BUILD STATE’S FIRST SOLAR POWER PLANTS

The FPL Group claims its 38,105 megawatts of capacity has one of the lowest energy-to-CO2 ratios in the U.S. It is among the biggest solar energy-producing utilities in the world and it is the biggest utility producer of wind energy-generated power in the U.S.

Responding to Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s energy bill, approved by the Florida legislature earlier this year, FPL Group, through its subsidiary Florida Power & Light Co., just got approval from the Florida Public Services Commission (PSC) to build 110 megawatts of new solar generation, including (1) the biggest photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the world, (2) a breakthrough solar/natural gas combined-cycle power plant and (3) a PV installation to provide solar energy-generated electricity to the Kennedy Space Center.

Armando J. Olivera, President, FPL: "Today's decision by the PSC represents a major step forward in making Florida a leader in solar power generation. At a time of record-setting fossil fuel prices and concern over global climate change, solar power helps to meet the goals of protecting the environment and enhancing Florida's energy security. Governor Crist and the state legislature set a goal of increasing renewable energy in Florida, and as a clean energy company we are committed to playing a meaningful role in this endeavor…"

In other words, New Energy follows New Energy policy.

The FPL Energy solar plant concept. (click to enlarge)

FPL Receives Approval to Build First Commercial-Scale Solar Power Facilities in Florida
July 15, 2008 (FPL via Business Wire)

WHO
Florida Power & Light Company, subsidiary of FPL Group; Florida Public Service Commission (PSC);

WHAT
Florida’s PSC approved the FP&L Co’s applications for the building of 3 solar installations totaling 110 megawatts that will make Florida the 2nd biggest solar energy-producing state in the U.S. and extend the FPL Group’s lead as the biggest solar energy producing-utility in the U.S.

FPL operates the Mojave Desert solar power plants that use parabolic mirror concentrating technology. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
- The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is expected to be in service by December 2009.
- The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center will go online at the end of 2009 and be completed in 2010.
- The Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center will begin operation in the first quarter of 2010.
- Anticipating the policy initiatives of the Crist administration, FPL pledged in September 2007, at the Clinton Global Initiative, to build a 10-megawatt solar power generation trial facility and then develop 300 megawatts of solar in Florida and 500 megawatts of solar across the U.S. in the next 7 years. The 3 new facilities represent 110 megawatts of that pledge.

WHERE
- The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center will be in DeSoto County, Fla.
- The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center will be at FPL's existing Martin Plant site in Indaintown, Fla., in the southeast of the state.
- The Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center will be at the Kennedy Space Center on the Atlantic coast in the north of Florida.

The combined-cycle natural gas/solar power plant concept. (click to enlarge)

WHY
- The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center: 25 megawatts, reportedly the world’s biggest photovoltaic (PV) installation.
- The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center: 75 megawatts, a hybrid combined-cycle natural gas and steam-driven solar power plant. (The FP&L Co. press release describes it as the world’s first but NewEnergyNews has reported on a similar installation in Egypt. Whichever is the world’s first, this is likely the first in the U.S.)
- The Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center: 10 megawatts of PV, a public-private partnership between the space center and the utility, to provide electricity for the space center.
- FPL Energy owns 5410 megawatts of wind enegy capacity at 56 sites in 16 states.
- FPL also claims to be the U.S.’ leading utility in energy conservation, reporting its conservation policies since 1980 have eliminated the necessity of 12 medium-sized power plants.

QUOTES
Armando J. Olivera, President, FPL: "Our Florida projects will benefit FPL's customers by increasing the amount of clean, renewable energy while decreasing greenhouse emissions and displacing the use of oil and natural gas…"