Eco Factor: Solar power plant in Florida could serve 11,000 people.
Lauren Engineers & Constructors have signed a contract with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) to develop the world’s second largest solar power plant in Indiantown, Florida. Using concentrated photovoltaic technology, the plant will be able to generate about 75MW of power, which could serve nearly 11,000 urban households.
Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center, as the project has been named, will be located on 500 acres of land adjacent to FPL’s Martin plant. The project will include about 200,000 parabolic mirrors and the total power produced for this new solar pant will be 155,000 MWh annually. FPL estimates that the plant will be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2.75 million tons over the 30-year life of the project, which can be compared to taking 18,700 cars off the road each year.
The Dark Side:
The plant’s capacity to serve 11,000 urban homes with clean energy is commendable. However, with the cost of solar energy still above the $1 a watt benchmark, residents of Florida will definitely have to pay extra to go green.
Via: [Press Release]
