One of the realities about renewable energy is that we will have more of it when people are able to make money from it. That brings us to Palm Beach Gardens-based developer Syd Kitson. In 2006, he bought the Babcock Ranch in Charlotte County. The state allowed Mr. Kitson to buy the land with the idea that he would not turn his development into just another development.
But many developers have said that they would use smart-growth building and design techniques. Last week, Mr. Kitson became the first to say that he will power his "smart" community entirely by solar energy. Mr. Kitson was joined Thursday by representatives of Florida Power & Light and three environmental groups - the Sierra Club, Audubon of Florida and the World Wildlife Fund - to announce that the very green Babcock Ranch would become even greener.
Already, Mr. Kitson has sold off 73,000 acres, about 80 percent of the ranch, to the state for preservation. Now, he's got FPL committing to build a $300 million, 75-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant to power his new town on the remaining land. The town could have 45,000 residents and 6 million square feet of commercial space.
Mr. Kitson wants to show that there can be a different way to build. And he's not forgetting the profit motive. He's got $1 billion from Evergreen Real Estate Partners out of Chicago, as The Post's Jeff Ostrowski reported in September. If smart building can be made economically smart, Florida wins.
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