Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, filed a Ten-Year Site Plan with the Florida Public Service Commission on April 1, 2021.[1] The plan includes opening a 409 MW solar-powered battery storage facility and seven new solar energy centers by the end of 2021. The solar-power battery storage facility, currently under construction in Manatee County, will be the largest facility of its kind in the world. According to FPL, zero-emissions sources will generate 40% of its power by the end of the decade, a more than 65% increase from 2020. Under the plan filed with the commission, FPL would install 30 million solar panels and have more than 11,000 MW of installed solar capacity by 2030. Currently, FPL is the state’s largest solar producer and has 40 solar energy centers in Florida. By 2030, FPL also plans to have 700 MW of battery storage, a 186% increase compared to 2021.
Regarding coal, FPL has shut down less efficient coal-fired units to save customers millions of dollars, and on January 1, 2021, the company closed its last remaining coal-fired plant in the state. FPL is also currently building the FPL Dania Beach Clean Energy Center, an ultra-efficient power plant in Fort Lauderdale. The company does not currently anticipate the need to build another new natural gas power plant through 2030. For nuclear, FPL plans to request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission extend the licenses of St. Lucie Units 1 and 2, allowing for up to 20 additional years of operations.