Florida Power & Light reaches key milestone in solar panel installations

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is well on its way to its goal of installing 30 million solar panels by 2030, also called its 30-by-30 plan.

The company is already 40 percent there, officials announced this week. Specifically, FPL has installed more than 12 million solar panels in Florida.

“Reaching this milestone is an important step in our commitment to increase zero-emissions energy as FPL builds a more resilient and sustainable energy future all of us can depend on, including future generations,” Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL, said. “Despite the pandemic, our team has stayed laser-focused on executing our ‘30-by-30’ plan. Eight new solar energy centers have begun powering customers with clean energy so far this year, and three more are scheduled to come online before the end of this year.

By the end of June, FPL will have 42 solar energy centers in Florida, including its Discovery Solar Energy Center at Kennedy Space Center, which just became operational. The solar panels installed at these sites are expected to save customers approximately $421 million over the lifetime of the assets. These solar centers generate more than 3,000 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity – more than any other utility in the United States. Further, the solar centers support FPL’s SolarTogether community solar program, which is the nation’s largest.

“Nobody in the country is building more solar than FPL,” Silagy added. “We’re dedicated to providing our customers with clean, affordable, and reliable energy while keeping bills among the nation’s lowest – and our rapid solar expansion helps us consistently deliver on this promise.”

Florida is currently third in the nation for solar generation, with a trajectory to be a world leader in solar capacity by the end of the decade.

In early 2022, FPL is expected to have installed more than 15 million panels, which would put the company more than halfway to its goal of 30 million panels. By the end of 2030, FPL expects to have more than 11,700 MW of universal solar capacity.

“Since FPL first pioneered large-scale solar development in 2009, our industry has seen a transformation of what was once considered niche technology to solar becoming a dominant source of energy,” Silagy said. “Solar helps us reliably power our millions of customers, fuels our economy with jobs, and benefits our environment.”

Florida Power & Light serves more than 11 million residents across Florida.