FPL to spend billions on solar

Florida's biggest utility will spend $2.4 billion on major solar-energy projects, former President Bill Clinton announced at today’s session of the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative in New York City.

Clinton, a Democrat, made the announcement along with Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and Lew Hay, the CEO of FPL Group, which runs Florida Power & Light.

"It only makes sense that the sunshine state would have a solar power plant,” Crist said.  “This plant will serve as an example to other Florida and American companies that alternative energy can work."

Clinton congratulated Crist, adding "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."

 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.

(Our colleagues at The Buzz blog note that it's worth recalling the rough political history here. FPL backed Tom Gallagher in the 2006 Republican primary for Governor. This naturally infuriated Crist (he had flogged the company as Florida attorney general for rate hikes). Crist later returned a big FPL campaign donation.)

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, Hay said he expects power generation from low-carbon energy sources like wind, solar and nuclear should soon become competitive with electricity generated by coal, the cheapest of fossil fuels. (click here for the interview)

FPL said Wednesday it is launching three initiatives:

• Investment of up to $1.5 billion in new solar thermal generating facilities in Florida and California over the next seven years, starting with a project at Florida Power & Light.
• Investment of up to $500 million by FPL to create a smart network that will provide its 4.5 million customers with enhanced energy management capabilities.
• The launch by FPL Energy of a new consumer education program and new products that could increase renewable energy resources by at least $400 million over the first five years of the program.

FPL is working with a California-based startup called Ausra Inc. "FPL is planning to build 300 megawatts of solar generating capacity in Florida using Ausra, Inc.’s solar thermal technology," the company's press release announced. "According to estimates, this new facility will avoid nearly 11 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over a 20-year period. As a first step, FPL expects to construct a 10-megawatt project. Subject to Ausra meeting agreed-upon cost and technical specifications, as well as FPL gaining regulatory and related approvals, the utility will expand the project to a 300-megawatt facility."

Click here to read more about the announcement in the St Pete Times.

For the full FPL press release about this initiative, click here.

--Craig Pittman, David Adams and Steve Bousquet.

Comments

[Don]

It's about time "Sunshine State"!

[paminator]

Thermal solar is the most cost-effective solar solution available today, far better than photovoltaic. The reported cost is $3000/kW of power output peak, but average solar output runs about 1/4 of peak, so the real cost comparison with any other power source is $12,000/kW. This is more than three times the cost of nuclear, and ten times the cost of gas or coal generators.

What will be the impact on electricity rates for Floridians?

[JL]

The Tampa Bay Area and the USF department of Electrical Engineering Clean Energy Research (http://cerc.eng.usf.edu/) should really be pushing for this to be in our "backyard".

This needs to be pushed! Newspapers, USF, Gov't, All media, etc.