ST. CLOUD, Fla. — The Florida Municipal Solar Project is a project by the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) and Florida Renewable Partners, LLC to create one of the largest municipal-backed solar projects in the nation.
The momentous project just broke ground in Central Florida. It's expected to begin generating power on June 30, 2020.
Here’s a breakdown of the project:
1) Municipal Electric Utilities
Twelve municipal electric utilities up and down the state are coming together for the Florida Muncipial Solar Project:
- Alachua
- Bartow
- Beaches Energy Services (Jacksonville Beach)
- Fort Pierce Utilities Authority
- Homestead
- Keys Energy Services (Key West)
- Kissimmee Utility Authority
- Lake Worth Beach
- Ocala
- Orlando Utilities Commission
- Wauchula
- Winter Park
2) Solar Panels
Panels will be installed on a racking system that utilizes single-axis tracking technology, which means a computer-controlled motor moves the panel to track the sun as it travels from east to west, maximizing the panel’s power output.
3) Capacity
The farms will generate a total of 223.5 megawatts. Each of the three sites will be designed to generate 74.5 megawatts.
- Taylor Creek Solar Energy Center (Orange County)
- Poinsett Solar Energy Center (Osceola County)
- Harmony Solar Energy Center (Osceola County)
4) Cost
There is no upfront cost to the cities. The cities only pay for power when it is produced. Consumers don’t have to put any panels on their home or incur installation costs. They can choose what percentage of power they want to be solar and pay a small additional charge for that.
5) Economic Impact
About 600 temporary construction jobs are expected to be created -- roughly 200 people at each site.