World’s First Hybrid Solar Plant Opens in Florida

The first hybrid solar power plant in the world was inaugurated in Florida by Florida Power and Light Company at FPL’s Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center. It is one of three solar facilities commissioned by FPL.

It features 190,000 solar panels that work in conjunction with an existing natural-gas fired power plant. The solar panels will concentrate the heat of the sun by 80 times and offset the carbon emissions generated by the use of natural gas. It has been called the large-scale equivalent of the hybrid car.

The company says the thermal plant is the largest one in the east of the United States, with 75MW on 500 acres. It can generate power for 11,000 homes.

It created more 1,000 jobs during construction and will save customers $178 in fuel costs over its lifetime.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.