Advocates of the sustainability movement may tell you that bigger is not always synonymous with better, but when it comes to solar power one Florida developer would beg to differ.  Kitson & Partners, in collaboration with Florida Power and Light (FP&L), have recently announced their plan to construct the world’s largest solar array in Desoto County at Babcock Ranch where Kitson has planned to develop 19,500 homes and 6 million square feet of commercial space on 17,500 acres.

Syd Kitson, a former offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, has recently started a campaign to reinvent the American city. “Babcock Ranch will be a living laboratory for companies, workers and families ready to reap the rewards of innovation. No other place in America will be home to such a concentration of new jobs and technologies, energy-saving advances and global economic leadership,” states Kitson.  This reinvention will not only provide a more sustainable community, but this project is estimated to create 20,000 jobs with only a fraction of that amount to work at the solar plant.  The 25-megawatt plant with cover 180 acres of Desoto County and cost between $350 and $400 million dollars;  along with 3 other current solar array projects in Florida this will only add about .31 cents to the average Floridian’s bill.  Once completed, this solar array will provide enough energy for 3000 households.   The project may break ground as soon as 2010 and is provoking the accolades of Florida based environmental groups such as the National Audubon Society, the World Wildlife Fund and the Sierra Club.

Along with The Venus Project and Destiny, Florida, the “Sunshine State” is strengthening its trait as a creative hotbed for sustainable innovation.  The Green Cities Conference could not be taking place at a more opportune time in Florida.  Everyone is recognizing the importance of preservation and conservation, and using this new framework to discover solutions for our economy and environment.

*Note: If you were wondering about Syd Kitson’s NFL legacy; he played for 4 seasons as an offensive lineman and even recorded one reception for 9 yards.  He also played for one year in Dallas under the coach Tom Landry.