...Florida Commits to 300 MW ..Solar.. Power Plant

Strongly republican Florida has done more
than fully accept global warming as fact.
It is acting, first by planning to adopt
California standards, not with solar power.

As solar power plants such as these become
more common, it's only a matter of time
before people start "looking up" for the
space that solar power needs.


FPL plans solar plant in Florida

Florida Power & Light said it plans to build a solar power plant that will
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2 million tons over five years.

Posted on Thu, Sep. 27, 2007
BY BRENDAN FARRINGTON
Associated Press
http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/251785.html


NEW YORK -- Pushing politics aside, Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and former
Democratic President Bill Clinton took the stage together to announce that
Florida Power & Light will build a solar power plant in Florida as part of a
$2.4 billion clean energy program.

''This is a huge deal for America and I think potentially a huge deal for
people all around the world who want to do this,'' said Clinton, who
introduced Crist and company Chief Executive Lew Hay at the beginning of the
Clinton Global Initiative conference.

The conference is focused on finding ways to solve some of the world's most
pressing problems, including poverty and climate change.

Clinton said the FPL plant will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2 million
tons over five years. He praised the Juno Beach-based company for developing
the plant, saying the cost of solar is higher than other energy sources.

''As we all know, Florida is one of the sunniest places in America, but this
is the sort of thing, if they can prove it works, it can be done in sunny
places all over the world,'' Clinton said. ``If you mix it in to your
overall power mix, the extra cost is not particularly great.''

The utility, owned by FPL Group, also is planning to spend $500 million in
the next six years to provide 4.3 million customers with smart meters that
will help reduce energy use.

SMART METERS

FPL, which has customers in 35 counties, is already working on the smart
meter program. It lets consumers go online and check how much electricity
they use each day, allowing them to better control their energy consumption.

The utility has more than 50,000 smart meters in Florida, Hay said at an
investors conference earlier in the day.

Hay said that FPL's overall commitment is to produce 500 megawatts of solar
energy -- at least 300 in Florida and the rest elsewhere.

FPL Energy -- FPL Group's fast-growing unit that operates outside of
Florida -- already runs the world's largest solar-thermal field in the
Mojave Desert.

FPL is working with Palo Alto, Calif.-based solar-thermal startup Ausra on
the solar project. The utility said it would start with a 10-megawatt
solar-thermal project in Florida and then increase that to 300 megawatts as
long as Ausra agrees to FPL's cost and technical requirements and if it
secures all necessary permits.

The company did not say where the project would be located.

FPL Group is close to completing a 150-kilowatt solar array in Sarasota,
part of its green-power program called Sunshine Energy.

The 500 megawatts of solar energy translate to power for about 75,000 homes
and business, at least during the day.

''It will blend into rates to the point where it's not going to be very
noticeable,'' Hay said.

The third project involves a renewable-energy education program from FPL
Energy. Starting next year, consumers nationwide will be able to buy
renewable-energy credits from FPL Energy.

Renewable-energy credits indicate that part of the electricity that FPL
Energy bought was offset by alternative energy such as wind, solar or
biomass.

`VERY GRATEFUL'

Clinton also praised Crist for signing an order that sets a goal of reducing
the state's carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 80 percent of
1990 levels by 2050.

Crist told Clinton that Florida, with 1,350 miles of coastline, is probably
the most vulnerable state to climate change.

''Because of what you're doing here and because of what Florida Power &
Light is doing, it's making a difference. It's making the world better and
it's helping my state, and I'm very grateful. God bless you,'' Crist said.

Palm Beach Post reporter Kristi E. Swartz contributed to this report.