LAKELAND, Fla. — Construction has begun on a massive new solar farm in Lakeland.
“This was historically mined land, and it really wasn’t able to be developed for any other purpose, so solar was a perfect fit,” said Cathryn Lacy, Lakeland Electric Utility Marketing Manager.
WATCH: Construction underway on massive solar farm in Lakeland
The City of Lakeland is using land left over from phosphate mining to build one of the largest solar farms in the region.
“This is a very large solar facility. Our current facilities, all five of them combined, is 15–megawatt. This is going to be five times larger,” Lacy said.
The 1,400-acre project sits east of State Road 33 and south of I-4, near Florida Polytechnic University, and could significantly boost the city’s solar power capacity.
“The benefit to customers is going to be more power. This is 74.8–megawatt of power,” Lacy said.
Because the land was once used for phosphate mining, the soil conditions make traditional development difficult. Neighbors support the idea of transforming the property into a renewable energy source.
“That sounds great to me. I used to live by Carter Rd. and used to use those old phosphate mines for bike riding and just playing around in,” said Andrew Previte.
The plan calls for installing 225,000 articulated photovoltaic panels that can rotate up to 60 degrees to track the sun's movement.
The property is owned by Williams Corp. One of the largest natural gas providers in the country. Expanding into solar energy is part of a broader strategy for long-term sustainability, as the city’s population continues to grow.
“That’s part of our ten-year plan. We keep assessing, and as Lakeland continues to grow, we know that we need to be there to support every single customer who moves here with dependable power,” Lacy said.
Leaders said it is still too early to know whether customers could see lower power bills.
Once complete, the project is expected to provide electricity to about 12,500 residents, playing a key role in Lakeland's push for reliable and sustainable energy.
The solar farm should be up and running by early 2027.
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