FPL starts construction on 10 more solar energy centers across Florida

JUNO BEACH, Fla., May 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced the start of construction on its 10 newest solar power plants that are expected to begin powering customers by early 2020:  

• FPL Babcock Preserve Solar Energy Center, Charlotte County
• FPL Blue Heron Solar Energy Center, Hendry County
• FPL Cattle Ranch Solar Energy Center, DeSoto County
• FPL Echo River Solar Energy Center, Suwannee County
• FPL Hibiscus Solar Energy Center, Palm Beach County
• FPL Northern Preserve Solar Energy Center, Baker County
• FPL Okeechobee Solar Energy Center, Okeechobee County
• FPL Southfork Solar Energy Center, Manatee County
• FPL Sweetbay Solar Energy Center, Martin County
• FPL Twin Lakes Solar Energy Center, Putnam County

"FPL is well on its way to making Florida a world leader in solar energy," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "This year alone we're building enough solar to increase our solar capacity by 60% and we are just getting started as we count down to the installation of 30 million panels by 2030. With 18 solar plants in operation and 10 more on the way, we're adding even more emissions-free power to one of the cleanest systems in the nation while consistently keeping our customers' bills among the lowest in the nation."  

Today, the company operates approximately 1,250 megawatts of solar capacity across 18 existing solar plants and other smaller installations. Each of the new solar plants will have a capacity of 74.5 megawatts. When the new solar power plants begin serving customers early next year, FPL's total solar capacity will reach nearly 2,000 megawatts – enough to power approximately 400,000 homes.

The new solar plants are another example of FPL's strategy of advancing affordable clean energy that has resulted in customer bills that are 30% below the national average. Purchasing solar panels in bulk and capturing other economies of scale helps FPL build its solar plants cost effectively. These new solar plants are expected to save customers millions of dollars in avoided fuel and other costs over the long term.

Of the new FPL solar power plants, six will support FPL SolarTogether^SM, the company's new community solar program that will be the largest in the country if approved by the Florida Public Service Commission.

FPL's ongoing investments in solar play a significant role in the positive impact Florida's solar expansion is having on job creation in the state. Florida ranked second in the nation in 2018 in solar employment, behind California, according to The Solar Foundation. Each of the ten new solar plants FPL is building this year is expected to create approximately 200 jobs during peak construction.

Florida's largest generator of solar energy
FPL currently operates 18 solar power plants, two that feature innovative energy storage, and hundreds of smaller solar installations*. Florida's largest generator of solar power, FPL has approximately 1,250 megawatts of universal solar capacity, including:

• FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy and Battery Storage Center, Charlotte County
• FPL Barefoot Bay Solar Energy Center, Brevard County
• FPL Blue Cypress Solar Energy Center, Indian River County
• FPL Citrus Solar Energy and Battery Storage Center, DeSoto County
• FPL Coral Farms Solar Energy Center, Putnam County
• FPL DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, DeSoto County
• FPL Loggerhead Solar Energy Center, St. Lucie County
• FPL Hammock Solar Energy Center, Hendry County
• FPL Horizon Solar Energy Center, Alachua and Putnam counties
• FPL Indian River Solar Energy Center, Indian River County
• FPL Interstate Solar Energy Center, St. Lucie County
• FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center, Manatee County
• FPL Martin Next Generation Clean Energy Center (hybrid solar/natural gas), Martin County
• FPL Miami-Dade Solar Energy Center, Miami-Dade County
• FPL Pioneer Trail Solar Energy Center, Volusia County
• FPL Space Coast Next Generation Solar Energy Center, Brevard County
• FPL Sunshine Gateway Solar Energy Center, Columbia County
• FPL Wildflower Solar Energy Center, DeSoto County
• FPL Solar Circuit at Daytona International Speedway, Volusia County*
• Solar research installation at Florida International University, Miami-Dade County*

Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest energy company in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, serving more than 5 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2018 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International for the fifth consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,700 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2019 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

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SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company