Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center
History:
The original Riviera power plant started operating in 1946 with Unit 1, which generated a mere 40 megawatts of power. In 1953 Unit 2 added 70 megawatts of generating capacity. Both Units 1 and 2 are retired. Units 3 and 4 went into operation in 1962 and 1963 and respectively generate 280 megawatts of power each. The plant is capable of producing electricity by burning either gas or oil.
Project site:
The plant is located on 21 acres southwest of the Palm Beach Inlet and Peanut Island and across the Intracoastal Waterway from Palm Beach.
Plant design:
- After the modernization is complete, the site will contain a high-technology combined cycle natural gas unit.
- The unit will be capable of producing 1,250 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power 250,000 homes and businesses.
- The new design will have a sleeker profile, with stacks about half as tall.
Economic benefits:
- The modernized units will be considerably more efficient than the existing facilities, using at least 33 percent less fuel to produce the same amount of power.
- The combined savings to customers will be about $450 million.
- The project will generate an additional $20 million in tax revenue in its first full year of operation alone. That translates into $7.6 million for the City of Riviera Beach, $3.6 million for Palm Beach County schools, $6.7 million for Palm Beach County, and $2.0 million for other taxing authorities.
Environmental benefits:
- The modernized units will contribute to an improvement in air quality at these sites by reducing particulate emissions by 88 percent.
- The rate of carbon dioxide emissions at the energy centers will improve by 50 percent.
- That translates into a CO2 reduction of 900,000 tons in the first year alone, or the equivalent of removing 200,000 cars from the road, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- FPL will provide for a manatee viewing area at the energy center to foster continued support for this endangered species.
- The primary water source for the cooling system will be the Intracoastal Waterway, just as it is today.
- The office building at the site will feature rooftop solar panels and will be certified as environmentally sustainable by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
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