Duke Solar Farm Due to Spring Up Near Capital

The progress of solar in statewide policies has been slow in Florida. Tallahassee has seen several ballot initiatives pressing for the 2016 ballot, but in recent months, those efforts have slowly begun to die down. This could be due to the fact that Florida’s utilities have begun to spearhead operations to expand solar in the Sunshine state without new policy, pushing for bigger, better, and more efficient power plants and solar farms.

One such farm recently sprung up in Perry, FL, just outside of the state capital, led by none other than one of Florida’s utility moguls, Duke Energy. While Duke may be one of the driving factors behind the least popular of the new solar energy ballot measures, they have certainly been taking drastic steps to bring Florida into the sunlight, with hundreds of megawatts of solar power pumping throughout the state already. But their latest endeavor in Perry, where they broke ground earlier this month, is said by Duke President Alex Glenn to be their largest in Florida to date, and there are more to come.

The Perry solar farm is due to cover a rough 22 acres with more than 22,000 solar panels, most of which will be grounded. Each panel weighs around 30 pounds and the labor required is drawing out 200 workers, boosting the local economy and getting the city of Perry further invested in the clean energy industry. Due to the solar farm’s location across the street from Taylor County Elementary School, the solar farm is also expected to function as an educational platform, allowing students to learn how the solar panels work and how clean energy can make a significant difference in the way Florida and the United States harnesses electricity.