A commissioning ceremony was held Thursday for the Florida Power & Light Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center in North Escambia.
The first solar energy center of its kind in Escambia County generates up to about 75 megawatts. There are about 270,000 solar panels on the 358 acre site on Bogia Road, in the community of Bogia which is just south of McDavid.
“Today, we’re commissioning a brand new solar facility that powers over 15,000 homes and covers over 350 acres out here in Bogia,” Eric Silagy, FPL chairman and CEO, told NorthEscambia.com at the event. “We are really, really proud that this, one of 50 facilities across the state that are powering FPL homes and businesses.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
“We’re only halfway on our initial goal of 30 million panels by 2030. Solar is great, in many ways because you’re able to generate electricity using the sun and not burning fuel,” he said.
The First City Solar Energy Center, the second FPL solar site to be built in North Escambia, off Holland, Cox and Roach roads in McDavid is in the early stages of the construction process. It will be just over five miles to the north of the Cotton Creek facility. And, as first reported by NorthEscambia.com in February, FPL intends to build a third solar farm in North Escambia on hundreds of acres in Molino.
The Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center is planned for 555 acres south of the end of Pilgrim Trail and should be online by 2024.
“I want the communities where we are located and proud to have us,” Silagy said. “We’re absolutely working to be good neighbors. We can’t do this without community support. We can’t get the permission that we need without the community support, and we live here, we raise our families here like everybody else. We want to be good stewards of the community because we’re here for a long time.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Eric Silagy, FPL chairman and CEO, during a commissioning ceremony for the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Ceremony in North Escambia on Thursday. Pictured below: A group of brothers from Bogia pose in front of just a few of 270,000 solar panels on the site. Pictured inset: Guests talk as live drone video of the facility plays on a monitor behind them. NorthEscambia.com photos by William Reynolds, click to enlarge.
28 Responses to “Dedication Held For FPL Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center In North Escambia (With Photo Gallery)”
Solar works – Fact! Solar is an investment that, in time (8+ years), will pay for itself over and over – Fact! Solar is clean energy with ZERO emissions – Fact! The investment in solar far outweighs the upfront cost of installation and maintenance – Fact (although some will not like the upfront cost).
This is a GREAT investment idea and we need more solar farms like this one. These solar farms are built to last an estimated 30 years. That’s 20+ years of zero cost power that can then be passed onto the consumer (fingers crossed). And, after 30 years, if it’s no longer needed, it’s easy to return the area to the environment.
Let’s say 15,000 homes with an average electric bill of $150 a month = $27 million in electric bills for 1 year.
Minus the cost of maintenance and cleaning of the 270,000 panels – 5.7 million.
Will everyone’s bill be as high? Where will the consumer see this money since these panels are so amazing and can run 15,000 homes. The sun is free.
So that’s why they held a public event dedicating the solar field?
Lol, that’s next-level deep stating right there.
Well, I guess the question of a nuclear power plant being built on that land has been answered. I will take solar over nuclear or wind turbins any day.
Look out. Our Bills from FP&L are going to be triple again next month so they can pay for this without losing their pocket money
Folks, keep in mind our FPL rates are higher than the rest of FL who has FPL. WE are paying for their purchase from Gulf Power. Unfair in my opinion; the rest of FPL customers should “share the wealth” as well. Almost discrimination. Additionally, the recent bill that was passed about net metering was basically written by FPL too!
“First of it’s kind in Escambia County? The Saufley Field solar farm, built on the former airfield, was finished at least two years ago.”
FPL calls Cotton Creek the first of it’s kind in Escambia County. Their words.
It’s in a different class.
We think the technology is different. Saufley (which is owned by Coronal and sells power to FPL) generates 50MW with 600,000 panels. Cotton Creek, this new one, generates 75MW with 270,000 panels.
@John FPL had nothing to do with the switch from coal, that was Gulf Power, the other thieves!
Did anyone else notice that this dedication was kept qiet? FPL knows this is a scam and they knew that we know, that’s why we weren’t invited so we couldn’t make a scene and ruin their party!!
@ Kyle Here is your bird!
First of it’s kind in Escambia County? The Saufley Field solar farm, built on the former airfield, was finished at least two years ago.
Robinhood, most people can’t live in Fla running a AC on 79, and freeze on 68, I grew up in a cold house, want do it again A little over the top (Chicago), and you might save on light bills, but the state income tax, and tax on meds and groceries will even it out. Not everyone can pull up and move bc of high light bills.
CEO of Nextera Energy James Robo 2020 salary: $22,800,000. CEO of FPL Eric Silagy 2020 salary: $8,388, 615. CEO NextEra Energy Resources John Ketchum 2020 salary: $7,176,229 Vice President and Counsel Charles Sieving 2020 salary: $4,863,724 CFO NextEra Rebecca Kujawa 2020 salary: $4,123,983
What’s so funny, you will pay the same power bill regardless if they power you with natural gas or solar. Our power bills are going up every month, why? Because they switched to natural gas. I told everyone here almost two years ago when they switched we will not see any savings because the price of natural gas was expected to triple in the next 3-5 years. Guess what? It’s steadily rising, there are no cost savings, this solar farm is a red herring. They are charging you for natural gas power while selling their solar power to states with even higher power rates so they can make a profit. Do not be fooled that all this power is staying in our local area. Do not even get me started on the Florida laws on living off grid. You can not live off grid in Florida, period. You can’t even collect rain water. These utility monopolies want you to be dependent on them alone.
FPL is all for solar as long as it’s THEIR solar and not a homeowner’s.
Hypocrisy at it’s finest, FPL commisioning their brand new solar farm while at the exact same time lobbying legislation to keep Florida homeowners from enjoying the benefits of solar and instead loading them with hefty fines that offset the cost of even getting solar. These bills are KILLING local jobs because FPL is not approving any new solar power permits. This energy company is a sham and a scam. Home Solar Systems with battery backups have many many benefits in the sunshine state of Florida which is why they are trying to prevent this.
So they want customers to subsidize their building of solar farms and solar is a great thing, unless your an individual trying to be self-sufficient. Studies across multiple states show that the power companies don’t even show a loss of profits until about 10% of customers go solar. We’re at about .08% here. These thieves want you to pay for their investment so you’re not paying for your own. Get solar, get battery backup and cut the cord with the power company. Next time we have a storm you’ll have power.
The green new deal??? WHERE DID ALL THE TREES GO? sure NOT green.
Thank you FP&L to help clean up the air in Escambia County. Air quality is better than ever. Thank you for stop burning coal.
@Lyn: the panels are on wind-rated mounts and the panels themselves are covered in a clear polycarbonate designed to withstand all but the largest hailstones.
think in terms of the 1 in 100 year event. for wind, it’s a category 5 hurricane that sits here for 18 hours. for hail, it’s hailstones the size of grapefruit. for water, it’s an inch of rain an hour for 24 hours in a row, followed by six inches of rain in hour 25.
@mtndewey – the wind load on a solar panel is a lot lower than you think. no one is getting kickbacks. Gulf Power submitted a federal grant request for a solar subsidy and it was awarded; the merger with Gulf Power and FPL was announced after Gulf Power got the permit to begin building.
@carl Exactly how is DeSantis looking the other way? Federal Dept. of Energy Requirements have a standing order that every state must show progress towards a certain percentage of renewable energy sources by 2030 in order to maintain funding levels of certain D.o.E projects; in Florida exactly which renewable did you think it would be? Given a choice between giant bird killing windmills and massive solar farms what’s your pick?
question……… are they any good on day that it rain,or cloudy ????????
“I don’t want clean power because it costs more than polluting the water and soil!”
“Them solar panels and mounting structures that are designed to withstand 140+ mph winds are gonna get wrecked in a hurricane!”
“They clear-cut 500 acres to put up solar panels–they should have just kept cutting down the rain forests and blowing up mountaintops so we can have cheap, dirty coal!”
I love this comment section, lol
Made best decision September last year moved out of Escambia County (little Chicago) 50 miles to the Country in Bay Minette Al. So far our power bill has been great compared to what I am hearing from family and friends. Run heat on 68 and a\c at 79 during day and 76 in evening when arrive home
@ Lyn… The answer is they will raise rates again claiming recovery cost. Its in their DNA to lie
This is due to FPL funding the solar mess off the backs of citizens who do not have no interest or even have solar. The PSC and FPL are in thick as thieves. Most disgusting is Desantis looking the other way. Time for me to move out of Florida
Question I have been wondering about: what happens to the solar panels when we have hurricanes? Or tornados? Just curious. DO they flatten them to keep them from blowing away or breaking?
yeah great idea. solar farm in hurricane prone area. wonder who is getting kickbacks on this?
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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Archive
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