Following in the footsteps of the Masdar initiative comes a new development in Florida called Babcock Ranch.   US utility company Florida Power & Light has teamed up with construction group Kitson & Partners to build a 19,500-home city with 6 million square feet of office, retail and industrial space, run entirely on solar power.

The $2 billion project is one of the first to be announced in the wake of President Obama’s support package for renewable energy, a factor that must have boosted investor confidence.  It should create around 20,000 jobs whilst easing housing problems in Florida, and leading the way in sustainability.

Scheduled to begin construction in June 2010, the city will make the most of cutting edge technologies like smart grids and innovative techniques for water conservation and sustainability.

Unfortunately, much like the Masdar initiative the city will rely heavily on the grid. It will provide enough power for itself and more during the day through solar panels, but will need to switch to the coal-powered national grid in the evening. Again like Masdar, the developers have avoided the question of serious energy demand by excluding energy-intensive industries. 

Whilst we’re not really in a position to comment on the need for new houses in Florida, we think resources might be better spent on improving existing cities with renewable energy and more efficiency.  But there isn’t much money in that for a construction company! And if something is going to be built anyway, it’s great to see developers taking the ecological initiative and being ambitious with their plans. 

Green Energy Republic