The Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), along with 12 Florida municipal electric utilities and Origis Energy, has completed the Rice Creek Solar Energy Center. This solar facility, located in Putnam County near Palatka, provides nearly 75 MWac of clean energy to power about 14,000 homes. It features 213,000 solar panels and is part of the Florida Municipal Solar Project (FMSP), one of the largest solar initiatives supported by municipal utilities in the U.S.
Rice Creek Solar serves 12 Florida cities: Jacksonville Beach (Beaches Energy Services), Fort Pierce, Homestead, Key West (Keys Energy Services), Kissimmee, Lake Worth Beach, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach, Newberry, Ocala, Havana, and Winter Park. Notably, this marks the first solar project for Havana, New Smyrna Beach, and Newberry.
Jacob Williams, general manager and CEO of the Orlando-based wholesale power agency, stated, “We are excited to expand our solar power generation and bring even more affordable and clean energy to our members. By working together, our Members and their communities benefit from additional solar-powered energy that’s both cost-effective and carbon-free.”
Josh Teigiser, Managing Director Origination and Clean Hydrogen for Origis Energy, mentioned, “FMPA is doing all it can to bring cost-effective clean energy to a large base of customers in the Sunshine state. We are honored to support this FMPA work. Long-term agreements for solar generation, including for Rice Creek Solar, provide a stable rate base contributing to lower and more predictable customers’ bills.”
FMPA oversees the project, while the participating municipal utilities, all members of FMPA, purchase the solar power. Origis Energy, based in Miami, built, owns, and operates the facility. The Rice Creek Solar Energy Center is the third site in the FMSP. Construction of a fourth site, Whistling Duck Solar in Levy County, began at the end of 2024. The project plans to expand to seven sites, eventually generating a total of approximately 525 MWac of solar energy.
