Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced it has installed more than half of the 2.5 million solar panels that will comprise eight new solar power plants powering its customers by early 2018.

Construction activity at the new solar sites is at peak levels with a workforce of more than 1,000 men and women, including military veterans, building the advanced facilities. The eight new plants are part of FPL’s larger plan to add more than 10 million solar panels from 2016 to 2023, one of the largest solar expansions ever in the eastern United States.

“We’re investing nearly $1 billion to grow solar in Florida this year alone, and we’re building each of these new solar power plants cost-effectively,” said FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy as he toured the construction site of the future FPL Barefoot Bay Solar Energy Center in Brevard County with community leaders today. “Together, these eight new plants are projected to generate an estimated net lifetime savings of more than $100 million for our customers – over and above the cost of construction.  Our continued commitment to rapidly expand solar energy while keeping customer bills low demonstrates that it is, in fact, possible to be both clean and affordable.”

“FPL’s clean energy infrastructure investments continue to pay off for Floridians and give our state’s economy a competitive advantage,” said Vicki Northrup, an economic development consultant in Brevard County. “Residents and businesses served by FPL are enjoying cleaner and cleaner energy while continuing to pay significantly less for power than the national average.”

The eight new FPL solar plants under construction and their expected completion dates are:

• FPL Horizon Solar Energy Center, Alachua and Putnam counties (by Dec. 31, 2017)
• FPL Coral Farms Solar Energy Center, Putnam County (by Dec. 31, 2017)
• FPL Indian River Solar Energy Center, Indian River County (by Dec. 31, 2017)
• FPL Wildflower Solar Energy Center, Desoto County (by Dec. 31, 2017)
• FPL Barefoot Bay Solar Energy Center, Brevard County (by March 1, 2018)
• FPL Blue Cypress Solar Energy Center, Indian River County (by March 1, 2018)
• FPL Hammock Solar Energy Center, Hendry County (by March 1, 2018)
• FPL Loggerhead Solar Energy Center, St. Lucie County (by March 1, 2018)

Each of the eight new solar plants will be capable of generating 74.5 megawatts of zero-emissions energy when the sun is shining for a combined total of nearly 600 megawatts.