PARRISH – Florida Power & Light broke ground Thursday in eastern Manatee County on the first of three new solar power plants.
The FPL Manatee Solar Energy Center in Parrish is next to the company’s existing power plant.
Nearly 340,000 solar panels are being installed on 762 acres. They will be able to produce 74.5 megawatts
of solar power.
FPL Ceo Eric Silagy says this approach is about renewable, clean energy and the future
“We think it’s the right thing to do,”Silagy said. “Costs have come down and by doing it on this kind of scale. That makes a big difference as well because we’re able to buy enough panels and build it in a way that really drives the costs down and that makes it affordable.”
The Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center in eastern Charlotte County is also starting construction, along with another in center in DeSoto County.
The three sites will triple FPL’s current solar capacity, with enough to power 45,000 homes on sunny days.
They’re expected to be completed by the end of the year.
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