Clean Energy and Efficiency Take the Stage in Central Florida

Central Florida has long been a hub of entertainment and business, but it’s also been a vacuum for electricity. Flourishing businesses and housing markets put energy consumption at an all-time high, which has the state government thinking in a cleaner direction. A downfall in prices and an excess in engineering has put the renewable energy industry in the best shape it’s ever been in, and that means, Central Florida is in for a remodel. This innovation not only brings a new look to the Orlando area, but it also brings more efficient and carbon-free methods.

One of the major developments taking place throughout Central Florida is an increase in efficiency. Members within the state government are pushing for more modernized buildings, which could act as a test for a more widespread overhaul. But the Clean Power Plan implemented by the Obama Administration raises the bar even further, prodding some utilities to take innovative steps in order to comply with a limited carbon-footprint. At the end of the day, the goal is sustainability and efficiency, needing less power and being able to fully utilize a renewable resource to get it.

While you may spy your neighbors installing solar energy equipment or pass a new solar powered structure on your way to work, things are changing behind the scenes too. What coal plants are left are designing more efficient equipment to decrease their carbon exhaust, and new solar energy plants are being built throughout the state from utilities like Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light. This year could see the start of three solar plants in Central Florida from FPL alone, and another three from Duke Energy soon after. Steps are being taken to turn the “Sunshine State” into one of the nation’s top contenders in clean energy, and it’s all starting in Central Florida.