April 26, 2024
Energy & Utilities
Homestead Resistance
Evenings at David Herring's house and farm in Walton County in Northwest Florida are marked by the whining of motors coming on. Herring's farm abuts an 866-acre solar power plant completed this year by FPL. At the close of the day, the motors turn on to reset the panels, which track the sun to maximize power production, so they can face the next day's morning sun. “If you're outside, that's what you hear,” he says.
Read more »
Published on 9/30/2023
The Partly Cloudy State
The Sunshine State nickname is more buzzword than actuality — at least if your business is power generation. Central Florida has 277 days a year — 76% of the calendar — that are cloudy or partly cloudy, notes Linda Ferrone, chief consumer and marketing officer for power provider Orlando Utilities Commission. “It's the partly cloudy state,” Ferrone says. Among large solar-power producing states, “it's very unique to Florida. California and Arizona don't have these challenges.”
Read more »
Published on 9/26/2023
Solar Surge
The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), which supplies wholesale power to the state's municipal utilities, and Origis Energy are aiming to quadruple the power generated via solar farms. By the end of 2026, the Florida Municipal Solar Project will consist of more than 1.8 million panels installed on eight farms.
Read more »
Published on 9/21/2023
Charting a Cleaner Path
JEA's new clean energy goals call for 35% clean energy and an 80% reduction in the company's carbon emission reductions compared with 2005 levels, both by the year 2030. The goals were announced in the company's triennial Integrated Resource Plan.
Read more »
Published on 9/20/2023
Power Lessons
After working as a paramedic for eight years — and dealing with the emotional toll that comes with such a job — Alejandro Guillen was ready for a career change.
Read more »
Published on 9/19/2023
Sowing Solar
As it implemented plans to expand solar power in Florida last year, Florida Power & Light made a huge land purchase, even by its own standard as the state's largest utility. It paid a California investment firm $76.7 million for 10,330 acres of farmland in St. Lucie and Indian River counties on Florida's east coast.
Read more »
Published on 9/18/2023
Lighting the Way
In April, the city of Orlando teamed up with Kolumi — an Orlando startup that makes lighting systems out of recycled aluminum, glass and plastic — to outfit an administrative parking garage with its light fixtures.
Read more »
Published on 9/15/2023
Green Machine
By this time next year, thousands of North Florida homes will be powered by natural gas drawn from cow manure, an emerging source of clean, renewable energy.
Read more »
Published on 9/14/2023
Floating Solar Farm
Duke Energy Florida is building its first floating solar array project in Bartow. The almost 1-megawatt solar array will feature more than 1,800 floating solar modules installed on a 1,200-acre cooling pond, which was once a phosphate mining pit. At peak output, the array could power nearly 100 local homes when it begins to operate as early as this month.
Read more »
Published on 7/26/2023
FPL's first-ever commercial drone helps quickly identify and restore power outage issues
FPL has launched the first-ever commercial, fixed-wing drone of its scale designed to capture high-quality images and videos of its infrastructure and thousands of miles of power lines.
Read more »
Published on 11/28/2022
Tampa General Hospital's new $53-million central energy plant ensures continual power - even in a hurricane
With Tampa General Hospital embarking on a $550-million construction plan that includes multiple components, from 12 new operating rooms to a 2,000-space parking garage, the hospital chose to address one crucial element early on: Making sure that — no matter the weather or the condition of Tampa's electrical grid — it would never lose power.
Read more »
Published on 9/20/2022
NextEra Energy's ambitious 'real zero' plan leaves carbon emissions behind for good
Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy captured attention earlier this year when it announced it would eliminate carbon emissions by 2045 and use only wind, solar, battery storage, nuclear, green hydrogen and other renewables to provide power. Unlike other net zero promises, NextEra says its “real zero” doesn't rely on buying carbon credits to offset power generation.
Read more »
Published on 9/8/2022
UF project focuses on converting oilseed to jet fuel
A promising University of Florida agricultural project in Northwest Florida is focused on producing an oilseed crop that can be converted into high-performance aviation jet fuel.
Read more »
Published on 9/8/2022
Along with the price of natural gas, Floridian's electric bills are climbing sky-high
The price of natural gas — which generates roughly 75% of Florida's electricity — more than doubled over the summer and is driving increases in electric bills at utilities around the state.
Read more »
Published on 9/7/2022
Infrastructure: Critical strategies Florida can implement as it grows
Florida is projected to gain 2.5 million new residents by 2030. Here's what that means for schools, roads, homes and other infrastructure needs
Read more »
Published on 3/8/2022
A profile of Florida's climate, sustainability and energy consumption
Solar provided just 4% of electricity generation in Florida in 2021. Power generation from renewables — biofuels, biomass, hydro, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, solar and wind — totaled just 6% of overall generation in 2021...
Read more »
Published on 2/8/2022
CEO of AmeriKooler takes aim at 'Goliath'
Several years back, Gian Carlo Alonso decided he needed a competitive benchmark against which to judge progress...
Read more »
Published on 11/30/2021
Tallahassee makes plans to rely on 100% renewable energy
Tallahassee has initiated an ambitious, long-term plan to have the town powered completely by renewable energy.
Read more »
Published on 8/31/2021
Coral Gables initiates talks about burying power lines
The Coral Gables City Commission voted unanimously in June to launch a series of community workshops to engage residents in discussing...
Read more »
Published on 8/31/2021
Duke takes the first step in dismantling its ‘backbone' power plant
For more than 50 years, Duke Energy Florida's twin-unit coal power plant in Crystal River routinely delivered 915 megawatts of power.
Read more »
Published on 8/31/2021
A hedge fund is seeking to split Duke Energy into three companies
Elliott Management, a $41-billion hedge fund, wrote the Duke Energy board in May urging the company to split into three separate entities...
Read more »
Published on 8/31/2021
UF researchers hope to make solar more useful during long power outages
A research team at the University of Florida has developed a system that can provide solar energy for homes during prolonged power outages.
Read more »
Published on 8/31/2021
OUC experiments with ways of generating and storing electricity from renewable sources
OUC experiments with ways of generating and storing electricity from renewable sources
Read more »
Published on 8/31/2021
Duke Energy urges customers to prepare for hurricane season
Company is strengthening electric infrastructure to reduce outages and improve resiliency.
Read more »
Published on 6/2/2021
FP&L expands its solar footprint in NW Florida
Matt Valle, vice president of development at FP&L, talks about details of the multi-phase project.
Read more »
Published on 5/26/2021
