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Fourth North Escambia FPL Solar Farm Planned South Of Bratt Road
November 28, 2022
Florida Power & Light is proposing a fourth solar farm in North Escambia.
The “Mitchell Creek Solar Energy Center” would be located on 1,282 acres between Camp and Cox Roads, just south of Bratt Road and the Escambia County Road Department North Camp, according to plans obtained by NorthEscambia.com.
The proposed location is just northwest of the First City Solar Energy Center, located along Holland, Cox and Roach roads in McDavid. It is on track to go into operation in early 2023. The site will have more than 223,000 photovoltaic panels with a planned output of 75 megawatts.
The 300,000 solar panels at the Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center on Bogia Road near McDavid have been in operation since early 2022 and were officially dedicated in March. It produces. enough electricity to power about 15,000 homes.
The Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center is fully permitted for 553 acres south of the end of Pilgrim Trail. According to FPL, over 200,000 solar panels will generate nearly 75 megawatts — enough energy to also power 15,000 homes.
The new Mitchell Creek Solar Energy Center is just entering the Escambia County permitting process.
Pictured top: Map of the proposed Mitchell Creek Solar Energy Center NorthEscambia.com graphic, click to enlarge. Pictured below: Construction is at about the halfway point for the First City Solar Energy Center in McDavid. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
41 Responses to “Fourth North Escambia FPL Solar Farm Planned South Of Bratt Road”
Concerned also for November 30, 2022.09:23 pm Expect erosion if you live below the site as the land is not covered. If you have plants and flowers you might wish to transfer them to another spot on your place.
When the metals run out, we’ll just find another way to harness the power of the sun. The sun isn’t going anywhere.
REGARDING:
“….where are these “rare earth” metals located at…”
“Rare-earth ore deposits are found all over the world. The major ores are in China, the United States, Australia, and Russia, while other viable ore bodies are found in Canada, India, South Africa, and southeast Asia.”
Basically, they are all over if you look for them. Nor are they inherently required.
CONTEMPLATING:
“These facts are not advertised on any mainstream media…’
You mean like the internet?
All the assorted arguments for and against, reasonable and unreasonable, true and false, are available and nobody in America is really muzzled.
Regarding:
“Also, “we” don’t own oil and natural gas. They are owned by corporations, not the government.”
Actually, we do and the government does. If you own property with mineral rights, you own any oil or gas on that property, down to the center of the Earth. Other nations have different laws but I’m talking about ours. (You just can’t actually get to most of it.)
And the government owns much property with mineral rights.
People and the government often sell or lease out to corporations since they have the know-how and resources to reach what you can’t.
David for nuclear power
@Bottoms Up
The metals being used for solar panels and batteries are not an infinite source. However, metals used for solar panels can be reused when the panels are decommissioned, and there is a much greater supply of lithium than the equivalent amount of fossil fuels.
Most of the energy being used to build solar panels does come from fossil fuels. However, the manufacturing process uses a fraction of the energy the refining petroleum does, and as we switch to more renewable energy sources, more of the energy used in production would come from renewable sources.
Strip mining is bad for the environment. Do you know what’s worse? Fracking and oil spills, two byproducts of fossil fuels.
Slavery is terrible, and we should fight to combat it everywhere. However, saying renewable energy is evil because some countries use slave labor to produce the raw materials is like saying wearing clothes is evil because sweatshops exist.
It’s great that you’re asking questions. But maybe you should try finding answers to the questions you’re asking and thinking critically about the conclusions.
Yep we gona have ele.alright but our farm land is leaving.where yall gona get food when everything is houses an solar systems.nobody seems concerned bout that.i guess we order from china
No giant cooling water containment is needed since this spot sits on top of the largest underground reservoir in the US and possibly the world.
At least the nuclear option would have way less overall footprint and produce far more power. Also it would generate great lifelong employment for many more individuals. The biggest benefit would be to the wildlife by not loosing every square inch. Most nuclear plants have a large buffer area of timberland surrounding the entire facilities that is used as a wildlife sanctuary. I would rather see nothing built but if it must be built then build something beneficial to all corners. Solar panels are not the answer.
@John Bone Jones,
Do you believe that the heavy metals being mined for the production of solar panels and electric car batteries are an infinite source? If not do you think these metals being mined are renewable? Do you think the energy used to refine those metals comes from solar or wind? Do you believe the earth is in a better shape for the strip mining of those heavy metals and the deforestation of vast swaths of land destroyed for the solar panel farms? Do you not care about the slave labor being used to mine and produce these materials?
If you can answer yes to any of the above I would ask that you might listen to, or research, other than main stream media sources that are simply mouth pieces for those liberal elites with a political agenda.
It isn’t brainwash to question what does not make sense once you’ve truly looked at the whole picture.
people working overtime to discredit renewable energy sources in favor of yet more fossil fuels which have a finite supply. Man, they really have brainwashed you into thinking everyone else is brainwashed. Ironic.
Good grief
@Derek. Natural resources are not unlimited. Also, “we” don’t own oil and natural gas. They are owned by corporations, not the government. Corporations exist to make money. Oil and gas took a hit during the pandemic and have been trying to make up yhose losses.
We don’t want solar and wind farms in this area. Anyone ever driven through Texas??? Guess we’re okay as long as those oil wells are in someone else’s backyard.
We have unlimited natural gas and oil…. the democrats had this same game plan jn the 1970’s to scare people as Carter totally ruined our economy just like Biden is doing now. At the present time gas prices are nearly double what they were 2 years ago. Judging by Steve King’s comment he buys into the democrats lies, half truths and corruption.
Them solar panels caused more pollution from chemicals used to make them also solar panels raise the temperature around area by 15 degrees or more which will damage and kill certain species of plants animals and insect which are vital to our eco system so Florida lights and power going get free energy from sun and turn around and sell u dummies electricity. Keep that junk away from out area land takers causing people to sell there home they lived there entire life sad so sad
Think I’ll kinda agree with Wizard.
Noting that he left out 1600 to 2000 acres of woodlands wiped out for these 4 farms.
Don’t you love the touchy-feely commercials FPL has been running all the time lately.
Wish they’d take the money they spend on advertising off each of our bills.
I have 120 acres of unspoiled land in the middle of the Pitcher Plant Prairie that I will make FPL a wonderful deal for a solar far. You have my email.
Yay .you need to read up on what it takes make solar panels and elictric car batteries
This is ridiculous we don’t want your solar bull crap out here stop destroying gods beautiful creation.
Sham???? We have 50-55 years of oil, and natural gas remaining (at current consumption), our resources are finite!!! That’s our kids, and for sure our grandkids lifetime! We can’t wait until oil/gas are gone, and then start looking for other means! So idiotic!!
95% of solar panels are made from silicon, which we have an over abundance of. Very small percentage are copper/cad.
What will be the true watershed runoff impact down hill from this environmental wrecking ball? Bogia Road floods every time there’s a heavy rain since FPL cleared that forested area.
Another 1200 acres gone, People are wondering why bears and panthers are showing up in the neighborhoods. well, this and subdivisions are the problem.
dogs and cats missing, no big problem, hopefully nobody loses a child
Steve
Yes. There is no form of energy in the world right now that is 100% green.
However, solar and wind power are significantly better for the environment, climate change, and for the health of people that live close to power generating facilities than continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Who knows, maybe someday nuclear cold fusion will stop being science fiction and we can use it to charge our flying cars and robot assistants. Until then, I think we should continue investing the best options we have available.
So I guess we get to pay for this station too.. before we know it, our bills will be beyond huge.. we are paying for the damages to poles for 2 hurricanes and I’m sure Hurricane Ian will be added also.. we are paying for them to bury the power lines, paying for the conversion from coal to natural gas.. and of course this is all on top of our higher price bills.. which go up yet again next year and the year after.. we have done all the suggestions to lower our bill.. but it still climbs higher.. if I go solar then I want to be totally off grid and have my panels on the ground poles not roof.. but yet they say you can’t do that due to grass affecting the panels.. so I ask what about all these solar farms.. isn’t it hurting the panels there.. and oh yeah, as everyone else says, the earth is being strip mined for what is needed to make these batteries and such.. we are tearing down more trees that we need to use to help us breathe.. we are also destroying wildlife areas. Then complain that the animals are coming near our homes.. such a mess we are creating… this is all not green… solar panels have to be replaced, batteries have to be replaced, where are we going to put all these once they die off and don’t work anymore.. ???
@steve. If you have all the answers then you’re in the wrong job. Energy consultants get paid better than comment trolls.
I own and hunt property near these new sites. The wildlife that this deforestation is displacing is staggering. There has got to be a better solution than this crap. I guess the government ain’t backing a nuclear project is the reason for not continuing with that route. It made to much sense I suppose.
@Wizard,
You are right! This is a big money scam by elitists to gather more riches and Ct at a cost to our working citizenry. Let’s look at some facts –
The earth is strip mined, in 3rd world countries so it’s out of sight, in many cases by slave labor, to dig for the rare materials. The environment is not a concern in those areas.
The energy it takes to produce the heavy metals far exceeds what fossil fuels would be used as we are now without these solar panels.
The open waste pools of toxic byproduct at the sites that are being mined contaminate drinking water and kill countless human and animal life.
The ecology around where these solar panel fields are built does not matter because the elites live somewhere else.
It does matter though as the oxygen and life giving acres of trees are cut down, displacing all of the natural flora and fauna. The wildlife and forests are destroyed.
The so called “clean” energy cost is always greater, never less as advertised, after so much harm is done to our environment.
These facts are not advertised on any mainstream media as it would severely harm the efforts to transform our society by the great reset underway. Do your research and internet searches. This is a sham and should be fought against every chance we get.
1984 is here, standing by for a Brave New World
@Common Sense
Would you be interested in purchasing a lightly used bridge? Or some oceanfront property in Kansas?
Yay for solar,,, If you taking from one side butting adding 10times to the other is pollution better off with solar? The cost the extract the minerals to build these places destroy whole area of the earth. And it takes fossil fuels to get those minerals. THis is nothing more than a feel goo idea. Long term is going to need to be lasting rather than a fickle sun based system. Long term are damns and nuclear power and fusion if they can figure out how to make it work. But solar and wind have terrible environmental impacts other than taking up a large amount of farm land.
Paul. We all agree money dictates especially in politics.
I was wondering why are these solar fields being built so for North away from the highly populated areas where they are needed the most?
Virtual Signaling by FPL.
Money dictates everything my friends. It’s not politically driven nor is it about the environment or helping anyone Everything is about money. If they can’t discover fossil energy they will discover sun or wind. Money always wins. Hey at least they haven’t dammed the river or set up a coal burning plant in our backyard. These panels will not hurt much of anything Kill the fire and turn to the sun.
We’re going to destroy the ecology while we’re saving the environment.
@Wizard. Great questions. When comparing the different types of energy, including solar, the greenhouse gas equivalent is used which not only determines how much GHG each emits but also the amount of GHG that go into creating and installing them. Solar has a GHG equivalent rating, it is just lower than anything else.
A big concern should be where are these “rare earth” metals located at because a lot of earth has to be mined to produce a relative small amount of them. I think you will find most are located in 3rd world countries, whose populations and environment will be exploited to enrich a few dictators and multi-national companies so the US/EU/AU and others first world countries can have solar panels.
It’s all a sham; the theory of man made
Climate change, electric cars, outlawing fossil fuels etc.
All designed to shift the balance from individual self reliance
To where only the mega wealthy will be able to own items and
be self reliant. It’s called “The Great Reset” and its slogan is:
“You will own nothing and be happy.”
It’s already happening; Americans slept on their rights too long,
we were too consumed with football games, America Idol and other
Distractions while our liberties were being stolen and power being
shifted from elected officials to technocrats.
Glad FPL is thinking long term and cleaning up the air for our children.
Ever wonder how they obtain the cadmium telluride (CdTe) OR copper indium gallium deselenide (CIGS)??? Me neither… However, those are the key ingredients to the recipe of making these solar cells. The big question is how much of these raw materials does the earth have and in addition how much fuel is used to dig that stuff up? Is it worth it??? Is it helping the earth??? Are we really trying to go green???