Construction begins on solar power plants

MANATEE — Florida Power & Light Co. is starting construction on 10 more solar power plants across Florida, including the FPL Southfork Solar Energy Center in Manatee County. 

The power plants are expected to begin powering customers by early 2020, according to a press release. 

The other areas where power plant construction is beginning are Charlotte, Hendry, DeSoto, Suwannee, Palm Beach, Baker, Okeechobee, Martin and Putnam counties. 

"FPL is well on its way to making Florida a world leader in solar energy," says FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy in the statement. "This year alone we're building enough solar to increase our solar capacity by 60% and we are just getting started as we count down to the installation of 30 million panels by 2030." 

Each of the 10 new solar plants FPL is building this year is expected to create approximately 200 jobs during peak construction, the release adds. 

FPL currently operates 18 solar power plants. The company has about 8,700 employees and is a subsidiary of Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy Inc.