Op-Ed Article
Florida Power & Light to build large solar farm in southwest Miami-Dade County
By Aletha Player, FPL
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is working hard to further advance affordable clean energy in ways that can benefit everyone in our community. FPL recently announced that four new solar farms began powering FPL customers at the beginning of this year and another four are on track to complete construction by spring 2018 with combined energy generation to power 120,000 homes. In addition, we got the green light to build our first major solar power plant in Miami-Dade County. It will comprise hundreds of thousands of solar panels that generate zero-emissions energy for FPL customers without using any water or fossil fuel. This is one of the many investments we continue to make in clean energy infrastructure to address our community’s continued growth in ways that are economical and sustainable.
The future FPL Miami-Dade County Solar Energy Center will be located in the southwestern corner of the county. We plan to break ground on the solar plant within two years. FPL builds large solar plants cost-effectively and our solar facilities are expected to significantly save our customers on their electric bills over time by reducing carbon emissions and fossil fuel use. Our project will also open doors for employment of contractors whose activities could generate a boost to the local economy.
The new solar facility will be the largest solar investment in Miami-Dade to date; however, it is far from FPL’s first! FPL’s partnership with FIU’s College of Engineering & Computing to build a commercial-scale solar-covered parking canopy provides opportunities for students and professors to conduct innovative research.
We donated rooftop solar panels to the amazing new Frost Science Museum and installed solar “trees” in the plaza outside the museum and in Tropical Park. These innovative community-based solar arrays power more than the electric grid; they prepare young minds to embrace the possibilities of a renewable energy future.
We continue to invest in Miami-Dade’s future with solar energy that benefits our community in multiple ways – all for the power of good.
About the writer: Aletha Player is the Area Manager for FPL External Affairs.
