Construction commenced in late 2008 and was completed in October 2009
At 25 megawatts, the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center is the largest solar photovoltaic plant in the country
Annual estimated generation is about 42,000 megawatt-hours or enough power to serve about 3,000 homes
Located on FPL-owned property in DeSoto County, Fla.
Plant consists of more than 90,500 solar panels
Project benefits
The project provided around 400 jobs during the peak of construction
DeSoto County will receive more than $2 million in additional property tax through the end of 2010
The project represents one of the largest private capital investments in the county
Over 30 years, the solar facility will prevent the emission of more than 575,000 tons of greenhouse gases;
according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this is the equivalent of removing more than 4,500 cars from the road every year for the entire life of the project
Will decrease fossil-fuel usage by approximately 7 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 277,000 barrels of oil
Photovoltaic technology requires no water
Solar energy can help Florida secure its energy future since it is not subject to oil supply disruptions or price volatility
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