A total of 74 solar plants (5,098.5 MW) were located in areas impacted by Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm that made landfall on the evening of October 9th, 2024. Each plant was assessed using satellite imagery both before and after the storm to identify potential damage.
Our findings indicate that only two facilities, Lake Placid Solar and FPL Cavendish Solar Energy Center, experienced visible damage due to the storm. This represents less than 3% of the total solar MW capacity within the impacted area. Notably, both instances of damage were attributed to direct impacts from tornadoes associated with the hurricane.
Despite the observed damage, both facilities continued to produce energy, demonstrating the resilience of solar power infrastructure. These findings challenge the perception of solar power's vulnerability to severe weather events.
Vulcan Infrastructure Watch remains committed to monitoring significant future events and providing valuable insights to our customers regarding the status and potential recovery of affected power assets.
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Hurricane Milton Affected Solar Plants |
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|
Plant ID |
Plant Name |
MW Capacity |
EIA Status |
County |
Damage Report |
|
61653 |
Alafia Solar |
60 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
62634 |
Babcock Preserve |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Charlotte |
No Visible Damage |
|
59993 |
Babcock Solar Energy Center Hybrid |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Charlotte |
No Visible Damage |
|
61654 |
Balm Solar |
74.4 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
61051 |
Barefoot Bay Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Brevard |
No Visible Damage |
|
64641 |
Big Bend II Solar |
45.8 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
65912 |
Big Water |
74.5 |
(V) Under construction, more than 50 percent complete |
Okeechobee |
No Visible Damage |
|
61029 |
Blue Cypress Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Indian River |
No Visible Damage |
|
61655 |
Bonnie Mine Solar |
37.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
67203 |
Bullfrog Creek Solar |
74.5 |
(V) Under construction, more than 50 percent complete |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
65920 |
Buttonwood |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
St Lucie |
No Visible Damage |
|
62632 |
Cattle Ranch |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
63982 |
Charlie Creek Solar Power Plant |
74.9 |
(OP) Operating |
Hardee |
No Visible Damage |
|
61988 |
Citrus Ridge Solar |
52 |
(OP) Operating |
Orange |
No Visible Damage |
|
60061 |
Citrus Solar Energy Center Hybrid |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
62542 |
Debary Solar Power Plant |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Volusia |
No Visible Damage |
|
56929 |
DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy |
25 |
(OP) Operating |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
63109 |
Discovery Solar Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Brevard |
No Visible Damage |
|
66129 |
Dover Solar |
25 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
63978 |
Duette Solar Power Plant |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
63495 |
Durrance |
60 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
65041 |
Elder Branch |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
66921 |
English Creek Solar |
23 |
(V) Under construction, more than 50 percent complete |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
64300 |
Fort Drum Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Okeechobee |
No Visible Damage |
|
64533 |
Fort Green Solar Power Plant |
74.9 |
(OP) Operating |
Hardee |
No Visible Damage |
|
65916 |
Fox Trail |
74.5 |
(V) Under construction, more than 50 percent complete |
Brevard |
No Visible Damage |
|
65438 |
FPL Cavendish Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Okeechobee |
Damage Visible |
|
61656 |
Grange Hall Solar |
61.1 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
65918 |
Green Pasture |
74.5 |
(V) Under construction, more than 50 percent complete |
Charlotte |
No Visible Damage |
|
65042 |
Grove |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Indian River |
No Visible Damage |
|
67208 |
Harmony Florida Solar II |
74.5 |
(TS) Construction complete, but not yet in commercial operation |
Osceola |
No Visible Damage |
|
63582 |
Harmony Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Osceola |
No Visible Damage |
|
65926 |
Hawthorne Creek |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
65915 |
Hog Bay |
74.5 |
(V) Under construction, more than 50 percent complete |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
65921 |
Honeybell |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Okeechobee |
No Visible Damage |
|
65877 |
Ibis |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Brevard |
No Visible Damage |
|
61020 |
Indian River Solar Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Indian River |
No Visible Damage |
|
61768 |
Interstate Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
St Lucie |
No Visible Damage |
|
64631 |
Jamison Solar (FL) |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
65683 |
Juniper Solar (FL) |
70 |
(OP) Operating |
Pasco |
No Visible Damage |
|
61657 |
Lake Hancock Solar |
49.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
66128 |
Lake Mabel Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
62541 |
Lake Placid Solar Power Plant |
45 |
(OP) Operating |
Highlands |
Damage Visible |
|
65684 |
Laurel Oaks Solar |
61.2 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
61663 |
Lithia Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
62750 |
Little Manatee River Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
65906 |
Long Creek |
74.5 |
(U) Under construction, less than or equal to 50 percent complete |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
64657 |
Magnolia Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
60014 |
Manatee Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
65905 |
Mare Branch |
74.5 |
(U) Under construction, less than or equal to 50 percent complete |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
61664 |
Mountain View Solar (FL) |
54.6 |
(OP) Operating |
Pasco |
No Visible Damage |
|
65883 |
North Orange |
74.5 |
(U) Under construction, less than or equal to 50 percent complete |
St Lucie |
No Visible Damage |
|
65290 |
OE_FL10 |
74.9 |
(U) Under construction, less than or equal to 50 percent complete |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
62491 |
Okeechobee Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Okeechobee |
No Visible Damage |
|
62919 |
Orange Blossom Solar Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Indian River |
No Visible Damage |
|
65925 |
Orchard |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
St Lucie |
No Visible Damage |
|
62921 |
Palm Bay Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Brevard |
No Visible Damage |
|
61665 |
Payne Creek Solar |
70.3 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
61666 |
Peace Creek Solar |
55.4 |
(OP) Operating |
Polk |
No Visible Damage |
|
62924 |
Pelican Solar Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
St Lucie |
No Visible Damage |
|
61767 |
Pioneer Trail Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Volusia |
No Visible Damage |
|
65868 |
Prairie Creek FL |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
65687 |
Riverside Solar |
55.2 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
|
62917 |
Rodeo Solar Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
DeSoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
65864 |
Sambucus |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
62493 |
Southfork Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
65913 |
Speckled Perch |
74.5 |
(V) Under construction, more than 50 percent complete |
Okeechobee |
No Visible Damage |
|
67209 |
Storey Bend Solar |
74.5 |
(TS) Construction complete, but not yet in commercial operation |
Osceola |
No Visible Damage |
|
63583 |
Taylor Creek Solar |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Orange |
No Visible Damage |
|
65863 |
Three Creeks |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
65873 |
Turnpike |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Indian River |
No Visible Damage |
|
61050 |
Wildflower Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Desoto |
No Visible Damage |
|
64301 |
Willow Solar Energy Center |
74.5 |
(OP) Operating |
Manatee |
No Visible Damage |
|
61667 |
Wimauma Solar |
74.8 |
(OP) Operating |
Hillsborough |
No Visible Damage |
This map illustrates the locations of Lake Placid Solar, FPL Cavendish Solar Energy Center, and Charlie Creek Solar Power in relation to the track of Hurricane Milton.
While Lake Placid Solar (approximately 45.5 miles from the storm center) and FPL Cavendish Solar Energy Center (approximately 49 miles from the center) sustained damage, Charlie Creek Solar (located only 16.5 miles from the center) remained unaffected.
This analysis highlights that proximity to the hurricane's eye did not directly correlate with damage. Both Lake Placid and FPL Cavendish experienced damage primarily due to tornadoes spawned by the hurricane, rather than from the hurricane winds themselves.
This observation underscores the importance of considering localized severe weather events, such as tornadoes, when assessing the potential impact of hurricanes on solar infrastructure.
This map depicts the tracks of tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Milton, categorized by strength. Hurricane Milton generated an unprecedented 46 tornadoes in Florida from October 8th to 9th, marking the state's most prolific tornado outbreak since 1954.
Utilizing these tornado tracks, we further investigated solar plants directly impacted by these severe weather events. In addition to Lake Placid Solar and FPL Cavendish Solar Energy Center, our analysis identified Ghost Orchid Solar as another facility directly impacted by an EF1 tornado.
(https://weather.com/storms/tornado/news/2024-10-23-hurricane-milton-florida-tornadoes-record)
Lake Placid Solar and tornado track.
FPL Cavendish Solar Energy Center and tornado track.
Ghost Orchid Solar Energy Center and tornado track.
62541 Lake Placid Solar Plant, Highlands County FL, 45 MW Solar, Operation Date: 12/2019, Damage Visible
10/5/2024 Pre-Storm 10/15/2024 Post-Storm
1/12/2025 Latest
Damages at Lake Placid Solar.
Though the damage continues to be seen in January 2025, Lake Placid solar continues to produce energy as seen in the EIA-923 data.
65438 FPL Cavendish Solar Energy Center, Okeechobee County FL, 74.5 MW Solar, Operation Date: 1/2023, Damage Visible
10/5/2024 Pre-Storm 10/14/2024 Post-Storm
1/26/2025 Latest
65038 Ghost Orchid Solar Energy Center, Hendry County FL, 74.5 MW Solar, Operation Date: 1/2022, No Visible Damage
10/1/2024 Pre-Storm 10/15/2024 Post-Storm
1/25/2025 Latest
63982 Charlie Creek Solar Power Plant, Hardee County FL, 74.9 MW Solar, Operation Date: 8/2022, No Visible Damage
10/5/2024 Pre-Storm 10/14/2024 Post-Storm
1/26/2025 Latest