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A Florida utility and a real estate developer are aiming to bring the country's first solar-powered city to the Sunshine State.
FPL Group Inc's utility Florida Power & Light is working with the realty group Kitson & Partners to construct what the utility says will be the world's largest photovoltaic solar plant in a planned, environmentally friendly city near Fort Myers in southwestern Florida.
Called Babcock Ranch, the city will aim to build 19,500 houses and about 6 million square feet of retail, light industrial, and office space when it is completed, the developers said.
The entire project is expected to cost $2 billion.
Syd Kitson, chief executive of Kitson & Partners, said Babcock, which will help create 20,000 jobs, can serve as a model for other communities throughout the nation.
"Babcock Ranch will be a living laboratory for companies, workers and families ready to reap the rewards of innovation," Kitson said at a press conference introducing the project.
A spokesman for the project said it will be the first solar-powered city because it will use only solar power during the day and produce more solar power than it needs and so will be a net exporter of solar power.
In addition to having its electricity generated from solar energy, the entire city is expected to have wireless Internet access and electric-car chargers.
Construction of the city center is scheduled to begin in June 2010, with the first residential and commercial buildings targeted for late 2010.
With the United States reeling from recession and falling housing prices, U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to create millions of jobs by moving the country toward a green-energy economy.
Florida, in particular, has suffered from the housing bust. The state is now staggering under high mortgage foreclosure rates, dropping home prices and slowing population growth.
Obama wants 10 percent of U.S. electricity generated by renewable sources such as wind and solar power by 2012 and 25 percent by 2025. The stimulus package Obama signed into law earlier this year included billions of dollars for clean energy investments.
The utility and realty developers said they were not planning on using stimulus money for the projects at this point.
Groundbreaking for the $350 million to $400 million plant will begin late this year subject to state regulatory approvals, Eric Silagy, chief development officer for Florida Power & Light, said at the conference.
Silagy said the state government of Florida has been extremely supportive of renewable energy and he was optimistic about winning approval for this new plant.
"We have three projects that are under construction and I think that's evidence that they are very committed to this," Silagy said. "With that continued commitment we'll be able to move forward with project very quickly."
Florida Power and Light said the construction of its plant will not be dictated by the status of the planned city.
U.S. President Barack Obama called for the elimination of nuclear weapons on Sunday, calling them "the most dangerous legacy of the Cold War" during a speech given just hours after North Korea launched a rocket in defiance of international requests not to do so.
Obama said his government would "immediately and aggressively" seek a ban on the testing of nuclear weapons.
"Some argue that the spread of these weapons cannot be checked -- that we are destined to live in a world where more nations and more people possess the ultimate tools of destruction," Obama said to a crowd of more than 20,000 outside the Prague Castle gates.
"This fatalism is a deadly adversary," he said. "For if we believe that the spread of nuclear weapons is inevitable, then we are admitting to ourselves that the use of nuclear weapons is inevitable."
Obama indicated that the United States would host a summit within the next year that would include discussions to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons.
He also sharply rebuked North Korea for launching the rocket, which the international community believes was a test of the country's long-range missile technology.
The U.S., Japan and other countries believe that the North Koreans could use a missile in the future to carry a nuclear warhead.
"North Korea broke the rules once more by testing a rocket that could be used for a long range missile," Obama said. "This provocation underscores the need for action -- not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons."
During a meeting with European Union leaders later in the day, Obama called for a joint statement condemning the North Korean move. That statement is expected at some point on Sunday.
"North Korea's development of a ballistic missile capability, regardless of the stated purpose of this launch, is aimed at providing it with the ability to threaten countries near and far with weapons of mass destruction," a joint EU-U.S. statement said.
Obama backs Turkey's inclusion in EU
Obama also urged the European Union to welcome Turkey as a full member of the 27 nation bloc.
"Moving forward toward Turkish membership in the EU would be an important signal of your (EU) commitment to this agenda and ensure that we continue to anchor Turkey firmly in Europe," he told EU leaders.
Turkey has long been seeking to join the bloc, and Obama's comments were a reaffirmation of U.S. support for that goal.
Following his meeting with EU leaders, Obama flew to Turkey; the final stop in his inaugural trip oversees.
The American leader's two day visit to Turkey -- the only Muslim member nation of NATO -- is intended to strengthen ties between the two allies. Obama will address the Turkish parliament and visit the mausoleum of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He'll also do some sightseeing.
The visit, which is Obama's first to a Muslim country, is seen as symbolic in terms of unity and strategy, as the new administration tries to improve the U.S.' tarnished image abroad.
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