Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center

The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a hybrid 75-megawatt (MW) parabolic trough solar energy plant, built by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). The solar plant is a component of the 3,705 MW Martin County Power Plant, which is currently the single largest fossil fuel burning power plant in the United States.^[1] It is located in western Martin County, Florida, just north of Indiantown.

The Solar Energy Center has an array of approximately 180,000-mirror parabolic troughs on about 500 acres (200 ha) of the Martin County plant.^[2] The solar collectors will feed heat to the existing steam plant, generating electricity at a rate of 155,000 MW·h per year (an average of 18 MW).^[3] Lauren Engineers & Constructors (Abilene, TX) was the EPC contractor for the project.^[4] Construction began in 2008^[5] and was completed by the end of 2010.^[6]

FPL expects the $476 million^[7] solar plant to reduce the combined-cycle power plant's natural gas consumption by 1.3 billion cubic feet (37 billion m³) per year.^[7] Over the 30-year life of the project, this is expected to save $178 million in fuel cost^[8] and reduce carbon emissions by 2.75 million tons.^[7]

See also

	Renewable energy portal
	Energy portal

• List of concentrating solar thermal power companies
• List of photovoltaic power stations
• List of solar thermal power stations
• Renewable energy in the United States
• Renewable portfolio standard
• Solar power in the United States

References

1. ^ "The World's Largest Power Plants". industcards. 2009-02-21. http://www.industcards.com/top-100-pt-3.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-26. 
2. ^ Mayfield, Jim (2008-12-03). "World's first hybrid solar power facility breaks ground in Martin County". TCPalm.com (Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group). http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/dec/03/worlds-first-hybrid/. Retrieved 2009-05-26. 
3. ^ "Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center FAQs". FPL. http://www.fpl.com/environment/solar/martin_faq.shtml. Retrieved 2009-05-26. 
4. ^ "75-MW CSP Plant to be Built in Florida". RenewableEnergyWorld.com. March 27, 2009. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/03/75-mw-csp-plant-to-be-built-in-florida. Retrieved 2009-08-01. 
5. ^ "FPL Breaks Ground on First Hybrid Solar Plant". RenewableEnergyWorld.com. December 5, 2008. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=54226. Retrieved 2009-05-26. 
6. ^ Vo, Danny (January 10, 2011). "Florida utilities lay plans for solar projects in 2011". CoolerPlanet.com. http://solar.coolerplanet.com/News/800333703-florida-utilities-lay-plans-for-solar-projects-in-2011.aspx. Retrieved 2011-01-28. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} Mouawad, Jad (March 4, 2010). "The Newest Hybrid Model". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/business/05solar.html?ref=energy-environment. Retrieved 2011-01-28. 
8. ^ Patel, Julie (January 28, 2011). "FPL's estimates on solar costs customers pay questioned". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/business/realestate/housekeys/blog/2011/01/fpls_estimates_on_solar_costs.html. Retrieved 2011-01-28. 

External links

• "The Cost of Solar Electricity at the Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center". Gerson Lehrman Group. March 14, 2010. http://www.glgroup.com/News/The-Cost-of-Solar-Electricity-at-the-Martin-Next-Generation-Solar-Energy-Center-47025.html. Retrieved 2011-01-28. 

Coordinates: 27°03′11″N 80°33′00″W / 27.053°N 80.550°W / 27.053; -80.550