FPL’s ‘30-by-30’ Plan Reaches Key Milestone With More Than 12 Million Solar Panels Installed in Florida
By Space Coast Daily // August 5, 2021
FPL has 42 solar energy centers in operation across the state of Florida
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) has achieved a major milestone by surpassing 40 percent completion of its groundbreaking “30-by-30” plan to install 30 million solar panels by 2030, which is one of the largest solar expansions in the United States.
To date, FPL has installed more than 12 million solar panels in Florida, putting the company well on its way to achieving its “30-by-30” plan.
FPL now has 42 solar energy centers in operation across the state of Florida, including its Discovery Solar Energy Center at Kennedy Space Center, which was commissioned in June.
The solar panels installed across the company’s sites are expected to save customers approximately $421 million over the lifetime of the assets, while making Florida third in the nation for solar generation, with a trajectory to be a world leader in solar capacity by the end of the decade.
“Reaching this milestone is an important step in our commitment to increase zero-emissions energy as FPL builds a more resilient and sustainable energy future all of us can depend on, including future generations,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL.
“Despite the pandemic, our team has stayed laser-focused on executing our ‘30-by-30’ plan. Nine new solar energy centers have begun powering customers with clean energy so far this year, and two more are scheduled to come online before the end of this year.
“Nobody in the country is building more solar than FPL,” Silagy continued. “We’re dedicated to providing our customers with clean, affordable, and reliable energy, while keeping bills among the nation’s lowest – and our rapid solar expansion helps us consistently deliver on this promise. In total, FPL customers are expected to save approximately $421 million from the cost-effective solar investments the company has made to this point.”
The company has 42 large-scale solar energy centers installed throughout Florida, with more than 3,000 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity – more than any other utility in the U.S.
Nearly every solar energy center that has become operational in 2021 supports FPL SolarTogether – the company’s popular community solar program, which is the nation’s largest.
FPL expects to achieve another major milestone by early 2022 when it anticipates to have installed more than 15 million panels, which would put the company more than 50% of the way toward completing its “30-by-30” plan.
By the end of 2030, FPL is planning to have more than 11,700 MW of universal solar capacity. To support its solar expansion buildout, the company will soon complete the buildout of the world’s largest integrated solar-powered battery system, the 400-MW FPL Manatee Energy Storage Center.
Also, the company recently demolished its last coal-fired plant in Florida, and plans to replace it with more clean, emissions-free solar energy power facilities.
“Since FPL first pioneered large-scale solar development in 2009, our industry has seen a transformation of what was once considered niche technology to solar becoming a dominant source of energy,” Silagy said. “Solar helps us reliably power our millions of customers, fuels our economy with jobs, and benefits our environment.” NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE),
FPL’s parent company and the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage, recently released its 2021 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) report at NextEraEnergy.com/sustainability.
The report details the company’s clean-energy initiatives and all of its ESG accomplishments and commitments.
Visit www.FPL.com/solar for more information on the company’s solar energy expansion.
