The future green of citrus greening
To the editor:
The Florida citrus industry is in free fall. In 2004, before the arrival of citrus greening, Florida had 748,000 acres of healthy, thriving citrus groves. Today, after being ravaged for two decades by the bacteria carried by the invasive Asian citrus psyllid, we have 274,000 acres and falling. That represents a two-third reduction in viable trees but an overall 95% reduction from peak harvests. In 1997-98 Florida produced a record-breaking harvest of 294 million boxes of citrus. Today that number stands at 12.2 million boxes.
Because of this trend there are vast tracts of dead or dying citrus trees throughout the state. Located predominately inland because of land costs, these ghost orchards are a blight to our landscape. Nothing is so sad as a forest of leafless, dying trees. Some of this land is being purchased for development but there are tens of thousands of abandoned parcels that present Florida, and the distraught owners of this wasteland, with a unique opportunity.
We should cover these fields with solar panels, and we should do it now. This current agricultural void gives us a chance to become the dominant energy capital of the Eastern Seaboard. The Sunshine State can become the Sunshine Factory. In terms of sunny days per year, Florida ranks in the top 10. The sun shines 66% of the time, and here’s what that means by way of potential solar electric power.
For those of you not following recent energy trends, let’s start with the basics. Coal is stone-cold dead. No matter how many millions of dollars we pump into coal, solar energy wins the race in every aspect. Natural gas fares better but is subject to market whims and the volatile fossil fuel industry. Coal comes with another drawback. It’s a CO2 nightmare. Burning 1 short ton (2,000 pounds) of coal produces about 2.86 tons (roughly 5,720 pounds) of carbon dioxide due to the way coal interacts with oxygen when burned. That CO2, in turn, heats the entire planet, causing our A/C bills to skyrocket, increasing everyone’s electrical demand in an endless cycle.
Sunlight is free; in Florida it’s abundant and can now produce energy at as low as 2 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH). The average cost of electricity in Florida is now between 14.5 and 16.5 per KWH. An acre of commercial solar, including battery backup systems, can produce between 1 and 1.5 gigawatts of power per year. That’s enough to power roughly 100 Florida homes. While the upfront costs are high, the long-term benefits are indisputable.
Number one: there are no fuel costs, at least not for the next five billion years. Number two: solar power (along with wind) is currently the cheapest form of generating power in the world and likely will be for the next 50 years. Number three: it’s clean when compared to any fossil fuel system because nothing is being burned. Number four: it’s reliable, there is no Strait of Hormuz between Florida and the sun.
So, let’s do the math. Let’s say we use 100,000 acres of the dead orange groves and build a solar array and battery system on a commercial scale. Georgia just expanded its solar panel manufacturing plant in Dalton so we can source everything here. How many homes would that power? The answer is 10 million. That would produce enough electricity to power almost every residential property in Florida, which currently has roughly 10.8 million dwelling units statewide.
Another huge advantage is that today’s solar arrays can be designed for what is known as “agrivoltaics.” This is when the land beneath the panels is utilized for a multitude of agricultural purposes. Across the globe these uses vary from grazing sheep, raising shade tolerant crops, such as kale, eggplants, rice, grapes et cetera. The shade they provide also helps reduce evaporation. That’s why California is currently covering much of its Colorado River aqueduct system with solar panels.
The tragedy of citrus greening is done. Unless there is a long-term cure for this terrible disease, the remaining groves will continue to perish and the tens of thousands of acres will remain a visual blight for decades to come. Instead, imagine driving through central Florida and seeing endless solar panels, with wildflowers, livestock or food crops below them, generating enough power to cover half of the eastern seaboard. This is a moment in time for all of us to move forward to a future where the phrase “Sunshine State” gets an entirely new and valuable meaning.
Charles Sobczak
Sanibel