The country’s Clean Energy Council predicts that 2017 will be the biggest year for renewables in half a century, with more than 20 large-scale renewable energy projects that are either under construction or pending construction. “Clean, renewable energy will help the State meet its aggressive energy goals, make electricity more affordable for New Yorkers and bring about a more resilient and versatile energy system”. The stats show there were 1,870 solar projects installed in the Finger Lakes region through the end of 2016, an increase of 603 percent. The increase in solar power leveraged a $1.5 billion private investment.
Silagy’s announcements came at a commissioning ceremony for three solar plants located in Charlotte, DeSoto and Manatee Counties. Other sites will be announced in the coming weeks, said FPL. According to reports, London-based solar developer Eco Energy World (EEW) has plans to build a 280 MW solar farm near Bouldercombe in Queensland, with construction expected to commence as early as the third quarter of this year. After letting its neighbor New Jersey steal the solar spotlight from it for years, NY is now back in the game in a significant way, growing 795% in the past five years, according to figures released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office. “An additional eight new solar energy centers is a major step toward reducing carbon emissions and saving water, benefitting the earth and all Floridians”.
NextEra subsidiary Florida Power & Light intends to accelerate the addition of new solar resources by adding eight different projects by 2018 for a total of 596 MW of renewable energy, essentially doubling the utility’s previous commitment to install solar panels. Vasari Energy’s pipeline of utility-scale solar PV projects has reached over 600 MW in markets including Texas, Arizona and Georgia. Each generator will cost roughly $130 million to build. As of the end of past year, there is now 743.65 megawatts of solar power available – enough to power more than 121,000 homes.
