With Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and local community leaders looking on, FPL broke ground on its 75MW Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center, the world’s first hybrid solar energy plant and first utility-scale solar facility in Florida. It is the first hybrid solar facility to combine a solar-thermal field with a combined-cycle natural gas power plant.
“Florida’s future growth and economic strength depends on how we address climate change, and we know we can reduce greenhouse gases by using fewer fossil fuels and more natural energy sources like solar,” said Gov. Charlie Crist. “This solar facility is a significant step in that direction.”
The Solar Energy Center will be the nation’s second-largest solar energy facility when it becomes operational in 2010. It is one of three solar projects that FPL is currently building in Florida that, when combined, will produce 110MW of energy. The two other solar projects FPL will build in Florida are found at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and in Desoto County.
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