Disney World to be powered by giant Mickey Mouse shaped solar farm
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In a bid to turn Disneyland green, American energy giants, Duke Energy, last month announced the launch of a brand new solar facility at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The entertainment complex, located in Bay Lake, Florida, spans almost 40 square miles, and features four theme parks, two adventure water parks, and 36 resort hotels. It holds the record as the most visited holiday resort in the world, and sees upwards of 52 million holidaymakers each year.
The introduction of the solar plant, which will of course be shaped into the brand’s iconic mouse-head logo, is the latest step by Duke Energy in expanding renewable energy in Central Florida. The facility itself will cover 22 acres of land close to the futuristic Epcot theme park, and will be made up of around 48,000 individual solar panels.
Teaming up with Walt Disney World Resort and Reedy Creek Improvement District to develop the solar farm, Duke Energy will continue to operate the plant on its completion, distributing the clean, alternative energy to help meet the needs of the Disney complex, as well as nearby golf resorts and hotels.
Angie Renner, environmental integration director for Walt Disney World Resort, said, “We continually take steps of varying sizes to benefit the environment and protect the planet. This new solar facility will help us in our efforts to conserve natural resources.”
The launch of the complex was commemorated last month with the flipping of a giant light switch, turning on the equivalent of more than 1,000 residential solar rooftop systems.
“We’re committed to providing our customers with great access to renewable energy, and the Walt Disney World Solar Facility is one example of how we’re doing that,” said Alex Glenn, Duke Energy state president, Florida.
As one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States, Duke Energy is currently involved in a range of solar energy projects, in an attempt to provide alternative sources of energy to the sunshine state.
By 2024, Duke Energy plans to add up to 500 megawatts of additional solar energy to the grid in Florida, which is enough to light up around 375,000 homes.
