FPL Brings Miami-Dade County’s First-Ever Solar Power Plant Online
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL).
All expressed opinions are 100% mine and not influenced by anything or anyone.
Did you know that FPL just launched the first-ever solar power plant in Miami-Dade County? The 450-acres complex is located in West Kendall and houses 300,000 solar panels, which together are producing 74.5 megawatts of clean energy, the equivalent of taking 12,000 cars off the road and enough to power 15,000 South Florida homes.
This past February 12, I was invited to attend FPL’s community event at the newly inaugurated solar power plant. While there, I was able to get a first-hand look at the huge solar panel installations. Geeking out moment for sure! Seeing all those solar panels stretched out as far as the eye could see was pretty impressive.
Personally, clean renewable energy has always been very important to me. Ever since I can remember, my parents always taught us to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle whenever possible. I certainly don’t know if it was the teacher in my mom, but that was an important lesson to pass on to us kids and it is the same thing I am teaching my children.
Because of that, I truly appreciate what FPL is trying to accomplish with their solar energy initiative. During the community event, we had the chance to learn more about how FPL plans to utilize this facility and their goals for what’s coming down the line in the next few years. We also had the chance to hear from our Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
One point worth mentioning and one that both Mayor Carlos Gimenez made and FPL’s CEO Eric Silagy irritated is the commitment that both FPL and the County have to work with the local farming community. Because of this commitment, the community event featured a farmer’s market with locally grown fruits and veggies, which by the way, were super yummy.
Speaking of flora, FPL’s commitment doesn’t end there. Florida’s fauna is diverse and needs to be protected and that’s exactly what FPL’s mission is all about with this solar power plant location. This location was made to be a solar sanctuary, where wildlife and nature can coexist. By planting specific plants throughout this location, FPL hopes to encourage local native species to thrive here.
In my opinion, the best part about this solar power plant is that since technology advances at such rapid pace, this facility was built so that when new technology comes online, the panels can simply be upgraded or removed altogether without damaging the land. Isn’t that smart of them? I sure think so!
Florida is such a beautiful place to live, but did you know that it is expected that 6 million people will move to Florida within the next 5 years? Because of this expected influx and to be able to meet the power needs of Florida, FPL recently announced their plan to bring 30 million solar panels to Florida by 2030. Want to learn more about FPL initiatives? Head on over to FPL.com