Florida’s Major Energy Players Joining Solar Bandwagon

It wasn’t long ago that Duke Energy and several other state utilities were firmly against the streamlining and expansion of solar energy programs in the Sunshine State. Duke Energy was especially vocal in their opposition of solar as means of energy production, but now, that’s changing. The major state utility is now joining the march for solar advocacy with a number of new projects throughout Florida, exemplifying the benefits and the numerous possibilities for solar.

In early spring, Duke announced plans to push 500 megawatts of energy out into the public, and just weeks ago, they started putting those plans into action. With approval from the Reedy Creek Improvement District Board of Supervisors, the utility company has started working to a 48,000 panel power plant near Walt Disney World Orlando that will supply roughly 5 megawatts of power, only 1 percent of their overall goal. The facility will have an iconic Disney-inspired design and span roughly 20 acres. But even with such a small percentage of their overall projected plans, the new installation by Duke is sure to set the ball rolling for solar in Florida.

Florida Light & Power is another state utility that has been making strides toward accepting and promoting solar as a potential clean energy source for Florida. They pledged in January to build three solar farms with the intent of expanding and even doubling Florida’s potential solar capacity.

The question is, why are utility companies changing their minds? The answer lies primarily in the cost of panels and the storage capacity of solar energy equipment. Both have been limited for several decades, but now, solar panels are drastically dropping in price, and as the price goes down, the storage of this precious clean energy has only increased, making the investment all the more worthwhile. It’s only a matter of time before Florida becomes the Sunshine State it was always meant to be.