ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney World is expanding the solar energy resources available to power its theme parks.
What You Need To Know
- Disney World adding two new solar facilities
- The facilities will be located in Polk County and Gilchrist County
- Both are expected to go online by early 2023
- The new facilities and Disney's existing facilities will provide 40% of the power needs at Disney World
First announced last year on Earth Day, the plan includes the addition of two new 75 megawatt solar facilities.
In an update Monday, Disney has revealed that one of the facilities will be built in Polk County and the other will be built in Gilchrist County—with construction set to begin soon.
By putting the facilities in two different counties, Disney says it will be able to harness the sun’s power without depending on sunny skies solely in one area.
The new facilities, expected to go online by early 2023, will feature 500,000 solar panels.
Disney has been working to reduce its carbon footprint in recent years. The additional solar arrays will help Disney reach a companywide goal of zero net emissions by 2030.
"Our commitment to the environment goes beyond imagining a brighter, more sustainable future by putting possibility into practice to ensure a happier, healthier planet for all," Disney World president Jeff Vahle said in a statement.
Disney currently has two solar facilities in operation at Disney World. The first is a 22-acre Mickey Mouse-shaped site that opened near Epcot in 2016. The other is a 270-acre facility off State Road 429 that opened in 2019.
Together, all four facilities will be capable of powering 40% of the energy needs at Disney World.
With this expansion, Disney will be one of the largest commercial consumers of solar energy in the state.
This comes as Disney launches a new environmental initiative called "Disney’s Planet Possible," which is focused on tangible actions the company is taking toward a more sustainable future.
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