From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

Florida, in case you did not know, is officially dubbed “The Sunshine State.”  Knowing this, wouldn’t you think they’d have a heck of a lot more solar plants, solar fields and other similar alternative energy installments?  Yeah, me too.  Apparently the focus has been more on retirement homes and high-rise hotels.  Just kidding!  At any rate, looks like the Sunshine State is going to be living even MORE up to its name as ground has officially been broken on what will be their largest solar plant ever!

According to new reports, Florida Power & Light, the largest utility in the state, broke ground already on what will be the largest, and first utility scale solar investment in the state.  Yay!  What’s even more impressive, is the fact that it will be a solar-hybrid plant, incorporating a solar-thermal field and a combined-cycle natural gas plant.  According to the article,

“Consisting of 180,000 mirrors spread out over 500 acres, FPL’s 75-megawatt Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is situated on the Atlantic coast just north of Palm Beach County.  FPL’s new facility is The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center will use less fossil fuel when heat from the sun is available to help produce the steam needed to generate electricity. It also matches solar power with an existing combined-cycle natural gas plant, so that when the sun is not shining, the natural gas can take over the work of powering the turbines.”

I have to say, nothing makes me happier than seeing huge utility companies diving head first into alternative energy.  The future is now my friends, and the more people, companies, leaders and innovators on board, the better off we’ll all be.  Solar is now, let’s do this thing.

Image via Wikipedia