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The Sunshine State Is Going Solar

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By ARMANDO J. OLIVERA and DEBBIE HARRISON

Special to the Tribune

Published: March 15, 2009

A power company CEO and the head of a leading environmental organization will never agree on everything, but on one essential element of Florida's future we are absolutely united: the need to bring more solar energy to the state.

The two of us attended the groundbreaking of Florida Power & Light's newest solar power site in Florida, a 25-megawatt facility in DeSoto County. When it is complete this year, the DeSoto Solar Energy Center will be the largest photovoltaic solar array in the United States. To appreciate the benefits of solar power for Florida, consider what this one site will accomplish:

•It will power 3,000 homes, or 20 percent of the population of DeSoto County.

•It will decrease FPL's use of fossil fuels by more than 275,000 barrels of oil over the life of the project.

•It will avoid greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 4,500 cars off the road every year.

•It will support 200 construction jobs and will provide DeSoto with more than $2 million in additional property tax revenue through 2010.

Capturing Power

Solar power is an amazing technology that is finally coming of age. For more than a century, there was no practical way to capture the power of the sun on a large scale. Humans could only use solar energy indirectly by digging up fossil fuels and burning them to release the sun's stored energy. Today, for the first time in history, we are able to capture significant amounts of the sun's power directly, through photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight into electricity.

The benefits of solar to Florida, and the world, are tremendous. Solar photovoltaic power is one of the cleanest forms of energy known to mankind. It emits zero greenhouse gases and other pollutants, uses no water and produces no waste. Because it displaces other, higher-polluting forms of energy generation, solar power means the air we breathe is cleaner. In the face of the daunting challenge of climate change, solar power must become a much larger part of our energy future.

Nor should we overlook the benefits of solar power for Florida's energy security. By harnessing this power, we can reduce the state's dependence on oil and gas as major sources of electricity generation.

Plants A Good Start

Finally, solar power is exactly the kind of technology we need to bring to Florida to ensure that the state is a key player in the energy economy of the future. We must do much more to make Florida a magnet for renewable manufacturers, research dollars and well-paying jobs in a dynamic growth industry.

This will not be an overnight trip - Florida's electricity needs are huge, and solar is just getting started - but we can make Florida a world leader in solar power.

Two years ago, Gov. Charlie Crist laid out a vision for Florida that included a dramatic expansion of renewable energy. Last year, the state Legislature provided support for renewables by granting them cost recovery, which all other forms of electricity generation enjoy. This year, the Legislature is slated to consider a "renewable portfolio standard" that would drive a significant increase in emissions-free energy production. These steps are essential to make Florida a leader in the clean-energy economy of the future.

Armando J. Olivera is CEO of Florida Power & Light Co. Debbie Harrison is director of the South Florida Program for the World Wildlife Fund.

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