92nd largest plant in Florida · 3001st nationally
Fort Drum Energy Center is a solar power plant in Florida with a nameplate capacity of 74.5 MW. It generates roughly 139.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 13,278 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 21% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Fort Drum Energy Center |
|---|---|
| Operator | Florida Power & Light Co |
| City | Vero Beach |
| County | Okeechobee County |
| State | Florida |
| ZIP | 32966 |
| Coordinates | 27.60789, -80.75812 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORTD | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 74.5 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Florida Power & Light Company |
Utility-scale solar farms convert sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic panels. They produce zero direct emissions and have no fuel cost, but generation is variable — peaking at midday and falling to zero at night. Capacity factors typically run 18–28% in good locations.