Governor Crist dedicates (250 kW) solar power facility in Sarasota (Florida)

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Governor Crist dedicates solar power facility in Sarasota

Updated: Feb 11, 2008 06:45 PM

SARASOTA - Governor Charlie Crist joined Florida Power & Light president Armando Olivera for a dedication ceremony of FPL's Sunshine Energy Solar Array Monday at Rothenbach Park in Sarasota County.

The array, the largest solar power facility in Florida and the second-largest in the Southeast, consists of 1,200 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. These panels convert sunlight into electricity, producing 250 kilowatts of clean energy, enough energy to power approximately 55 average homes. Using solar power will prevent the release of more than 654,000 pounds of C02 into the atmosphere each year. The PV panels, mounted at ground level, cover more than 28,000 square feet, or about half the size of a football field.

Sarasota County donated the land for the solar array as part of the county's own mission to support and promote sustainability efforts in the region. Future plans for the park include walking trails and a nature center.

Rothenbach Park is located at the east end of Bee Ridge Road approximately three miles east of Interstate 75. The site is located on a former landfill that was closed in 1998.

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