HOLT – The future of energy lies in Okaloosa County, on the edge of the Yellow River Wildlife Management Area.
Situated on 400 acres of land once used for logging and hunting, Florida Power & Light raised the curtain Monday on its first solar farm in Okaloosa County.
During the tour, which included members of the local media, Okaloosa County District 3 Commissioner Nathan Boyles and other FPL officials gathered near Garner Landing Road to view the ongoing construction of the Canoe Solar Energy Center.
What do we know here?
What is the Canoe Solar Energy Center?
The 74.5 megawatt Canoe Solar Energy Center is the 14th solar energy park in Northwest Florida and the 66th in the nation. FPL says its goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
The center has 170 builders currently installing 200,000 photovoltaic solar panels that track the Earth's rotation, allowing each panel to focus sunlight.
Once completed, energy collected at the center could power 15,000 homes over the next 30 years, according to John Schneller, FPL's construction manager.
According to JT Young, vice president and general manager of FPL's Northwest Region, solar installations have helped reduce energy costs by $375 million by 2022. Fuel costs are a major factor in high electric bills across the country.
“The more solar systems we install, the more energy we will save,” Yang said.
Young also noted that when the center is fully operational, it will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue for the county, which can be used for other programs in the region.
“When you think that this can literally power the entire city of Crestview, it's impressive,” Boyles said after the tournament.
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Boyles added that Okaloosa County has always been a consumer of electricity, but now that two solar farms are coming to our area, Okaloosa County could transition from a consumer to a producer.
Future projects
Once the Canoe Solar Energy Center is fully operational by Jan. 31, FPL Northwest Florida officials will begin work on the county's second solar center.
The Kayak Solar Energy Center will also be located in Halt and is expected to generate 74.5 megawatts of electricity, capable of powering an additional 15,000 homes per year.
This article originally appeared in the Northwest Florida Daily News; The Canoe Solar Energy Center is FPL's first solar farm in Okaloosa County.
