Florida Power & Light this week unveiled a pilot project to produce electricity using clean hydrogen from a facility in Okeechobee County.
FPL officials said the “FPL Cavendish NextGen Hydrogen Hub" project uses water and solar to create the clean hydrogen that is then blended with natural gas to generate electricity.
It’s part of the utility’s effort to decarbonize power generation infrastructure by no later than 2045. It also has the potential to eventually save FPL customers money on their power bills.
“Hydrogen is a ‘no brainer’ for Florida,” said Dr. Arif Sarwat, director of the FPL-FIU solar facility and eminent scholar chair professor at Florida International University, in a statement released by the utility. “As the most abundant element on earth it can be stored as an energy source that can be used whether or not the sun is shining.”
“What we discover could eventually help us hedge against the volatility and cost of fuel,” said Tim Oliver, FPL’s vice president of development, in a statement. “This is about creating more options for affordable and clean electricity for Florida.”
"The whole intent behind this pilot project is to help identify a roadmap," Stevany Cole, FPL director of development told TCPalm.com. "We can learn from this pilot, get some knowledge on the technology and the production of hydrogen and then take that and integrate that into our future plan."
If successful, said Cole, FPL officials expect the the technology will help the environment and lower electricity bills for customers in the future.
FPL officials demonstrated the technology to reporters on Tuesday at the facility in Okeechobee County.
