The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), along with participating Florida municipal electric utilities and Origis Energy, has announced the completion of the Rice Creek Solar Energy Center. This facility now provides approximately 75 MWac of carbon-free electricity to 12 cities across Florida.
Solar Center to Power 14,000 Homes with 213,000 Solar Panels
The Rice Creek Solar Center is the third addition to the Florida Municipal Solar Project, one of the largest municipally backed solar initiatives in the U.S. The solar center is located in Putnam County, and features 213,000 solar panels that produce enough electricity to power about 14,000 homes.
The Rice Creek solar center will supply power to 12 utilities, including Beaches Energy Services (Jacksonville Beach), Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, Homestead, Keys Energy Services (Key West), Kissimmee Utility Authority, Lake Worth Beach, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach Utilities, Newberry, Ocala, the Town of Havana and Winter Park. This marks the first solar power project for Havana, New Smyrna Beach and Newberry.
Jacob Williams, general manager and CEO of the Orlando-based wholesale power agency, expressed: "We are excited to expand our solar power generation and bring even more affordable and clean energy to our members. By working together, our Members and their communities benefit from additional solar-powered energy that's both cost-effective and carbon-free.”
FMPA Leads Florida Solar Project with Origis Energy
FMPA acts as the project coordinator, and the 12 municipal utilities — all member-owners of FMPA — purchase power from the project. Origis Energy, a Miami-based leader in renewable energy and decarbonization solutions, is responsible for building, owning and operating the facility.
Josh Teigiser, Managing Director Origination and Clean Hydrogen for Origis Energy, said: "FMPA is doing all it can to bring cost-effective clean energy to a large base of customers in the Sunshine State. We are honoured to support this FMPA work. Long-term agreements for solar generation, including for Rice Creek Solar, provide a stable rate base contributing to lower and more predictable customers' bills."
Partnerships' Commitments to Sustainable Energy
Origis Energy is driving the transition to a carbon-free future with its Reimagining ZeroSM initiative. As one of America's leading platforms for renewable energy and decarbonisation solutions, the company continues to expand its role in achieving global net-zero goals. Origis Energy prioritises customer needs, offering a broad array of sustainable solutions, including grid power generation, clean hydrogen, and long-term operation of solar, energy storage and clean hydrogen plants across the U.S.
The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) is a wholesale power agency owned by 33 municipal electric utilities. FMPA’s mission is to provide low-cost, reliable and clean power to its owner customers, benefiting their communities and residents. The 33 FMPA members serve over 3 million Floridians and employ more than 4,700 people.