The third facility of the Florida Municipal Solar Project will support 12 Florida cities with nearly 75 MWac
Jacksonville Beach, Fla., January 7, 2025 – Beaches Energy Services is now set to begin receiving solar energy from the completed Rice Creek Solar Center. The project will supply nearly 75 MWac of carbon-free electricity to 12 Florida cities, including Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Palm Valley and Neptune Beach.
Rice Creek Solar is the third solar site in the Florida Municipal Solar Project, one of the largest municipal-backed solar projects in the U.S. Located in Putnam County, near Palatka, it consists of 213,000 solar panels that generate enough power for approximately 14,000 homes.
“Our priority at Beaches Energy is always to provide our customers with reliable power and exceptional service at affordable rates,” Beaches Energy Director Allen Putnam said. “This solar partnership diversifies our energy production, providing stability that helps make our customers’ bills lower and more predictable – a big win for all.”
The 12 utilities that will receive power from the Rice Creek solar facility include 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, Town of Havana and Winter Park. This is the first solar power project for Havana, New Smyrna Beach and Newberry.
“We are excited to expand our solar power generation and bring even more affordable energy to our members,” said Jacob Williams, general manager and CEO of the Orlando-based wholesale power agency. “By working together, our members and their communities benefit from additional solar-powered energy that’s both cost-effective and carbon-free.”
Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) serves as the project coordinator, and the 12 municipal utilities, who are member-owners of FMPA, will purchase power from the project. Miami-based Origis Energy, a leading renewable energy and decarbonization solution platform, is the builder, owner and operator.
For more on Rice Creek, visit https://origisenergy.com/project/rice-creek.
For more information on the Florida Municipal Solar Project or FMPA, visit www.fmpa.com.