Solar City in the Works

12 April 2009 - 5:00am

Developers in Florida have announced plans to build a new 17,000 acre city that will run entirely on solar power.

"The new city, Babcock Ranch, will be developed by Kitson & Partners on 17,000 acres northeast of Fort Myers. It will include the world's largest photovoltaic power plant, which will be operated by Florida Power & Light. Buildings will be certified green and surrounded by thousands of acres of open space."

"The solar panels will sit on 350 acres within the development. More than half of the city's 17,000 acres will be permanently protected as greenways and open space, the developer said, and will adjoin the 73,000-acre Babcock Ranch Preserve that has been purchased by the state."

"FPL estimates the Babcock solar facility will cost about $300 million and add about 31 cents to the average customer's monthly bill. Among other projects in the years ahead, the company is also working to add 1,200 megawatts of power fueled by natural gas in Palm Beach County and 2,200 megawatts of new nuclear power at Turkey Point."

Source: The Miami Herald, April 10, 2009
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I argue that the vocabulary of planning and the concepts necessary to participate in local government and planning issues need to be taught to students in K-12.