Every day, FPL is moving toward a cleaner energy future in Florida
We started 2021 by closing our coal-fired plant in Martin County, marking the historic end of coal in the company’s power generation operations in Florida. Additionally, Gulf Power, which serves customers in Northwest Florida, also ceased coal-fired power generation in Florida, converting the plant to run entirely on American-produced, cleaner natural gas. This reduces the plant’s carbon emission rate by 40%.
This milestone is a culmination of our efforts in recent years to generate clean and affordable power for our customers. We’ve bought out old contracts and purchased existing coal-fired power plants for this sole purpose: shutting them down. We’re saving customers money while also eliminating carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, my team is overseeing the construction of universal solar energy centers, which are at the forefront of our bold 30-by-30 plan to install 30 million solar panels by 2030. With over 12 million panels installed, FPL is more than 40% complete with its plan. Put simply, FPL is leading one of the largest solar expansions anywhere in the country.
Even as FPL continues to be nationally regarded as one of the cleanest energy companies, with power generation coming from natural gas, nuclear, solar and batteries, our team continues to find innovative solutions for our customers. FPL is constructing the world’s largest solar-powered battery storage facility in Manatee County, which is now more than 75% complete and should begin serving customers later this year. We have also announced our plans for a new “green hydrogen” pilot project, which is the product of harnessing some of the sun’s energy to power equipment that splits hydrogen and oxygen within water. This green hydrogen will be mixed with natural gas, generating electricity that is cleaner and could unlock an emissions-free energy future.
This is all a part of our never-ending commitment to creating a cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy future for our customers. Over the past two decades, that commitment has resulted in saving customers more than $11 billion in fuel costs and eliminating more than 165 million tons of carbon dioxide. Our team is committed to maintaining this relentless focus on smart, long-term investments to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population and our unique position in the face of climate change.
See how we're making your energy cleaner.
Matt Valle
Vice President, FPL Development