Florida Power and Light is teaming up with a real estate company to build the first solar-powered city.
Not only will Babcock Ranch, the planned community near Fort Myers, run on solar, the 75 Megawatt photovoltaic power facility they’re planning will produce more power than residents will use. The facility will be the world’s largest, at 350 acres. Developer Kitsch & Partners hopes the community will demonstrate that sustainable living is not just feasible but economically practical.
Check out some awesome renderings of the community!
The community will have its very own smart grid to ensure that power gets used and distributed efficiently.
Babcock Ranch will be a live-work community, featuring housing for all different income levels and green collar jobs in renewable energy research, development, and implementation. Developers are also saying that the pedestrian- and bike-friendly community will be “storm-ready.” They’re planning community shelters so residents can be safe in the event of a hurricane but still near their homes. This also means resident’s won’t have to rely on a car to feel safe.
Assuming that the community gets the state approvals it needs, they’re planning to break ground at the end of this year. Florida Power and Light is planning to build the solar power plant regardless of whether the community gets the go-ahead.
You can read even more about Babcock Ranch over on Clean Technica!
Image Credits: Creative Commons photo by Katy Warner
Renderings via Babcock Ranch
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