Local leadership nets $1.5 billion solar project

That's 400 MW of solar power in twenty 20 MW PV plants, just across the state line in Gadsden County, Florida. Plus ongoing jobs, expanded education, private sources of investment, and customers for the electricity.

According to SolarServer quoting a National Solar press release yesterday, National Solar Power chooses Gadsden County, Florida for 400 MW PV project

The company estimates that the 400 MW project will create 400 jobs during the five-year construction phase and up to 120 permanent operations jobs.

And that's not all. According to Solar Energy News today, Plan to build $1.5bn solar farm in Florida,

Linked to the Gadsden project, a partnership National Solar Power is establishing with Tallahassee Community College (TCC) will create a solar energy educational and training center at TCC’s Gadsden County campus.

The center will feature its own 2 MW utility-scale solar farm.

“National Solar Power is making a strong commitment to education in our area – not only with the establishment of the solar farm on our campus but also with the jobs that will be created in Gadsden County and the economic development benefits that will flow to help Gadsden County’s schools, students and residents,” said TCC President, Dr. Jim Murdaugh.

“It is projected that by 2060, solar energy will meet half of all the world’s energy needs. When you realize that, it makes sense to partner with National Solar Power to provide our students with the kind of education and training that will be available at the TCC-Gadsden Solar Farm.”

Why did National Solar choose Gadsden County?

Company CEO James Scrivener said Gadsden was chosen for several reasons, including "its great year-round climate, strong community leadership, incredibly inviting regional support and the strong potential for future economic growth."

Hm, I didn't see anything about "unified school district" or "unified platform for industry." Nothing about local elected officials claiming it's just not time for solar yet because of lack of financing. No wasting the community's time for years when there's no market for biomass energy.

Nope, National Solar is moving ahead with private financing, and

National Solar has an agreement to provide electricity to Progress Energy (CPWLP.OB) Florida, which serves parts of central and north Florida.

All this in conjunction with real local leaders:

Scrivener credited Scott and the state's economic development team as well as the Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce and Tallahassee Community College with helping persuade National Solar to pick to the Gadsden site.

National Solar also says the other sites that were in the running may still also be chosen. Not to repeat myself, but Sumter County may go solar: where's Lowndes County?

-jsq

Comments

[Jim Hassinger]

In what way is it not good news to have this capacity? There are lots of green energy success stories to be told, but what we hear about is one failure: Solyndra. Why does that not surprise me?

[Farrah D. Reed]

I always say if Lowndes County has anything it's an abundance of sun shine : )