FPL to energize USA's largest solar PV power plant on Oct. 20

JUNO BEACH, USA: The nation’s largest solar photovoltaic plant will power up in one week, Florida Power & Light Company announced.

FPL’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Arcadia, Fla., is expected to begin delivering clean, renewable electricity to customers on Oct. 20 – ahead of schedule and $22.2 million under budget.

The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center uses more than 90,000 photovoltaic panels to turn the sun's rays into electricity to power more than 3,000 homes.

“Large-scale solar projects such as FPL’s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center provide Florida with the opportunity to create and attract more clean-energy jobs and produce millions of dollars in new revenue for local governments while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting the effects of climate change,” said FPL Vice President and Chief Development Officer Eric Silagy.

Additionally, FPL is working with local officials to secure the necessary approvals to expand the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center even further – with a potential future capacity of at least 150 megawatts.

“FPL is proud to lead the development of clean, renewable solar energy in Florida, and we are positioned to build even more with legislative and regulatory support,” said Silagy. “With the right policy in place, this and several other shovel-ready solar projects would create sustainable job growth and provide a significant economic stimulus to local economies in Florida.”

The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is one of three new large-scale, renewable solar power plants FPL is building in Florida, along with solar energy centers in Martin County and at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Together, these will total 110 megawatts of capacity by the end of 2010 and are expected to make Florida the second largest solar power-producing state in the country.

FPL's Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center, a 75-megawatt facility that will be the first hybrid solar thermal plant in the world, is currently on schedule to be completed by the end of 2010. More than 600 construction workers are on site now, and hiring will continue as the project moves forward.

The Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center, located on NASA property in Cape Canaveral, will add 10 megawatts of solar photovoltaic power to FPL's grid. It is on schedule to be completed by the end of first quarter 2010 and will employ more than one hundred workers during construction.