A Florida Power & Light pilot program is exploring the feasibility of bringing solar energy and agriculture together on the same land, advancing innovative solutions while supporting Florida’s natural environment.

One such program highlights a milestone of more than 40 honeybee projects at its solar energy centers across the state.

"It's been great keeping bees with FPL on their solar sites because it allows us to have access to remote areas and different locations that we never had access to before, finding more natural resources for the bees," said Mark McCoy of McCoy's Sunny South Apiaries in Loxahatchee.

FPL is working with third generation Florida beekeepers like McCoy across 18 counties to integrate honeybees into existing green space at solar sites. The pollinators play a critical role in local ecosystems by increasing neighboring farm yields and supporting food production.

"This is called agrivoltaics and it's one way that we are co-locating solar energy infrastructure with agricultural activity," Taylor Hernandez from FPL, said.

In addition to the honeybees at 40 sites, FPL is exploring cattle grazing in DeSoto County and sheep grazing in Northwest Florida, to supplement traditional vegetation management like mowing on sites.

The company is also working with UF/IFAS at FPL Miami-Dade Solar Energy Center to study the efficiency of growing crops on solar sites.

Each of these pilot programs explore the feasibility of bringing solar energy and agriculture together on the same land, advancing innovative solutions while supporting Florida’s natural environment.

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