https://www.smart-energy.com/industry-sectors/smart-energy/30-million-fpl-solar-panels-2030-utility-goal-world-record-breaker/
FPL aims for record breaking 30 million solar panels by 2030
January 18, 2019
US utility Florida Power & Light has announced its ’30-by-30’ initiative
to expand their renewables portfolio.
The initiative aims to install more than 30 million solar panels by 2030.
The project will be the largest including solar installation by a
regulated utility in the world.
The programme will help FPL to achieve a 67% fleet-wide reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, compared to the national average.
The plan will make Florida a world leader in solar adoption and will
include investing in energy storage to optimise renewable energy
generation, storage and use.
Eric Silagy, CEO of FPL, said: "FPL is not your traditional electric
company.
"We're a technology company that delivers power, and we've long believed
in making smart, forward-thinking infrastructure investments to produce
tangible, long-term benefits – cleaner air, lower electric rates and
reliable service – for our customers and our state.
“Now we're taking our long-standing clean energy commitment to the next
level. Bottom line, this bold, innovative plan is the right thing to do
for our customers and for our fast-growing state, and we look forward to
working with local and state officials and our regulators to make this
vision a reality."
“As Florida's energy needs continue to grow at a rapid pace, it is
important that we diversify our energy resources. This is vital to the
economic well-being of our State and quality of life for residents."
The company’s first investment in solar was in 1984, a 10KW photovoltaic
facility in Miami. Today, FPL is operating 18 utility-scale solar power
plants and hundreds of other universal solar installations across Florida.
"It's why our customers enjoy electricity that is among the cleanest and
most reliable in the country for a price more than 30% below the
national average, added Silagy.
The plan will allow the utility to generate 40% of its energy from
emission-free resources by 2030.
Efforts by FPL to retire fossil fuel energy generation has resulted in
reducing its reliance on foreign oil more than 99%, saving its customers
more than $9.5 billion in fuel costs and in preventing 120 million tons
of carbon emissions from being produced.
The utility serves more than five million customer accounts or an
estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida.