FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County officials have announced it is the first in Florida to preregister for a new voluntary community solar program developed by Florida Power & Light (FPL).

Officials said the county’s preregistration in the FPL SolarTogether program signals its ongoing commitment to sustainability by planning to offset up to 100 percent of its energy use with solar through the new program.

FPL plans to file the program for approval with the Florida Public Service Commission in early 2019, officials said. If approved, the company would open voluntary enrollment for all customers and expects the program to commence in early 2020.

“Broward County has a strong commitment to achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions necessary for a more stable climate,” said Broward Chief Resilience Officer Dr. Jennifer Jurado, director of the Environmental Planning and Community Resilience Division.

“This new program could deliver on various levels, advancing our county’s environmental goals while delivering significant cost savings over the longterm.”

Officials said FPL has opened preregistration in SolarTogether initially for its largest energy users, including Broward County, to help ensure the voluntary program is sized appropriately and will have enough solar capacity for all customers – residential, business and governmental – who choose to participate.

Broward has preregistered for 132 megawatts of solar-generated electric power, officials said, which equates to approximately 100 percent of its utilityproduced power consumption.

The county’s participation in the program will be finalized after FPL formally begins the proposed program.