POWER December 2021 - S12

POWER AWARDS
December 2021
FPL Solar Energy Centers, Florida
P
ower generation companies are
continually looking for ways to
make their operations more costeffective,
in part by seeking out investments
that will bolster the bottom line
while maintaining their commitment to
provide customers with reliable electricity.
Many of those utilities want to take
advantage of renewable energy resources, making cleaner
energy a larger piece of their generation portfolio. Florida
Power & Light (FPL), a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc.
that provides power for more than 11 million Floridians, has
taken a lead role in providing solar power across much of
the state, building dozens of utility-scale arrays, and working
with businesses and homeowners in support of rooftop
solar systems.
FPL in 2019 announced its " 30-by-30 " plan, a program in
which the utility pledged to install 30 million solar panels by
2030. FPL in June of this year said the program was more than
40% complete after just two years, with 42 solar energy centers
in operation, including the Discovery Solar Energy Center
at Kennedy Space Center.
" The cost of each solar energy center can vary based on a
number of factors, but those costs continue to come down
over time, " Matt Valle, vice president of development at FPL,
told POWER. " As a general estimate, each solar energy center
represents an investment of [about] $90 million. "
Many of those solar energy centers support FPL SolarCourtesy:
Florida Power & Light
Together, the company's community solar initiative. " Each
of our solar energy centers feeds the FPL grid, benefiting
all FPL customers, " said Valle. " Twenty of our 42 operating
solar energy centers are part of the FPL SolarTogether program-the
largest community solar program in the country.
It's a subscription-based program that offers participants the
option to meet up to 100% of their energy needs from renewables,
giving everyone the opportunity to participate in solar,
no matter where they live and whether they rent or own their
home or business. "
That commitment to solar energy is among the reasons
POWER has given FPL's solar energy centers a Top Plant Award
in the renewable energy category. ■
High Lonesome Wind Farm, Texas
T
he plains of West Texas for years
have been featured as the backdrop
for numerous Hollywood movies,
whether the plot centered around the
region's oil wells, its cattle ranches, high
school football, or dusty baseball fields, all
with sweeping vistas stretching to the horizon.
Those visuals remain, but in recent
years the area has also become known for its renewable energy
resources, particularly the soaring blades of wind turbines
that have made Texas the nation's top state when it comes to
producing wind power.
The region's wind farms are creating their own stories,
continuing to cement Texas' legacy as a global energy giant.
The High Lonesome Wind Farm, a project near the small
town of McCamey, population about 2,000, in an area that
state lawmakers call the " Wind Energy Capital of Texas, "
provides a model for Texas' renewable energy renaissance.
The wind farm has brought the rebirth of an oil boomtown,
uplifting a community by providing not only energy, but also
supporting investments that benefit local residents, farmers,
and ranchers.
High Lonesome, located across 200 square miles in Upton
and Crockett counties in Texas-about 290 miles northwest
of San Antonio, and 120 miles west of San Angelo-is a 500MW
installation, one of the largest operational wind farms
in Enel Green Power's portfolio. The project is known for its
positive impact on the rural area around the wind farm, and
12
Courtesy: Enel Green Power
also for its innovative corporate power purchase agreement
(PPA) that supports Danone North America's commitments
to sustainable business practices. High Lonesome is a model
for other successful wind power and renewable energy projects,
and is being honored with a POWER Top Plant Award for
renewable energy.
Construction of the High Lonesome wind farm began in
January 2019; the first 450-MW portion of the project came
online in December 2019, with the remaining 50-MW portion
starting up in May 2020. The 50-MW expansion is supported
by a 12-year PPA with food and beverage company
Danone North America, one of the project's innovative financial
strategies. ■
www.powermag.com
Supplement to POWER
RENEWABLE
RENEWABLE
TOP PLANT
TOP PLANT
http://www.powermag.com
POWER December 2021

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