How FPL’s Solar and Battery Projects Benefit Florida Communities | In The Know | hometownnewsvolusia.com

Oct 29, 2024

As Florida’s population continues to grow, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is building solar energy centers and battery energy storage systems to meet the state’s increasing energy demands. These cost-effective enhancements to the state’s electric grid not only protect Florida’s environment, but also improve reliability and resiliency for FPL customers while delivering valuable benefits to the communities where they operate, including here in Volusia County.

Developing solar solutions

Solar energy is among the most cost-effective sources of energy, and FPL solar energy centers also provide numerous benefits for their communities, including producing low-cost, emissions-free energy, preserving Florida’s agricultural land and protecting Florida’s environment today – and for generations to come.

Solar stewardship

FPL’s solar energy centers in Volusia County can co-exist with Florida’s natural environment, providing resources for native wildlife, including important pollinators. Unlike other forms of development, they place little to no demand on public services. These projects also allow the soil to remain fallow, meaning the land will be given a “rest”, helping to restore the soil’s natural nutrient balance.

In addition to the environmental benefits, FPL solar energy centers provide reliable energy without the need for fuel, which helps keep customer bills as low as possible. Since 2009, we have saved customers approximately $1 billion in avoided fuel costs, thanks in large part to FPL solar energy centers across the state.

“We are dedicated to providing reliable electricity, keeping bills as low as possible for our customers and continuing to be good stewards of our natural environment,” said Tim Oliver, vice president of development for FPL. “We evaluate each solar site for its unique environmental attributes and develop a tailored stewardship plan to support or enhance them.”

Leasing land

FPL also leases land to farmers and ranchers for a variety of uses across the state. This enables the land to continue to be used for growing crops and raising cattle prior to solar development and any land that remains available even after development and construction.

Benefitting communities

There are also local financial benefits associated with each FPL solar project. Each project generates 200 to 250 jobs during construction, providing an economic boost to local businesses through the purchase of goods and services. Once sites become operational, they generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue every year.

FPL’s solar energy centers in Volusia County generated more than $300,000 in taxes in 2023, funds that can be used by the county for any purpose, including to improve schools, roads and hospitals.

Building battery storage systems

Adding battery energy storage systems is another way we’re reducing fuel costs, enhancing grid resilience and diversifying our energy supplies, as seen with the FPL Manatee Energy Storage Center, which is one of the world’s largest solar-powered batteries. These systems benefit customers by allowing us to store energy when it can be produced and deploying it onto the grid when customers need it most, which saves them money.

“Battery storage helps us optimize our diverse power generation sources, including solar, natural gas and nuclear, providing grid resilience and delivering low-cost energy over more hours of the day to meet customer demand,” said Oliver.

The future is bright

FPL will continue to invest in solar and battery technology, which are among the most cost-effective sources of power generation the company can invest in for its customers. We remain committed to providing reliable electricity and keeping bills as low as possible.

[BS1] We’ve drifted away from the nuance that the counties collect the tax and can do whatever they want with it - not just what the talker here says.

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