Feb 09 - The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Fla.)

Gov. Charlie Crist and Florida Power & Light president Armando Olivera will celebrate Florida's largest solar-powered system on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota on Monday at 2:30 p.m.

The solar-powered system located at Rothenbach Park at 8350 Bee Ridge Road is FPL's Sunshine Energy Solar Array that collects energy from the sun and converts it into 100 percent renewable electricity, according to a press release. The array, which is also the second largest system in the Southeast, consists of 1,200 solar panels and produces 250 kilowatts of electricity.

The following are environmental benefits from the solar-powered system:

Prevents the release of more than 654,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (C02) into the atmosphere each year.

Removes from the atmosphere the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent to a car making the 460 mile round-trip from Sarasota to Miami nearly 1,600 times.

Enough energy to power 40 average homes.

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