Florida Power & Light Company has started construction work for FPL's Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center, which will be the world's first hybrid solar energy plant and the first utility-scale solar facility in Florida.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and local community leaders joined officials of the company for the ceremony.

The solar facility will consist of approximately 180,000 mirrors over roughly 500 acres of land at the existing FPL Martin Plant location.

According to FPL, the technology will help protect customers from volatile fossil fuel costs as it reduces Florida's carbon footprint. The Center will use less fossil fuel when heat from the sun is available to help produce the steam needed to generate electricity.

"Each sunrise will be the equivalent of easing our foot off the gas pedal as solar power is being produced," said FPL group chairman and CEO Lew Hay.

The Center will provide enough power to serve about 11,000 homes. Over 30 years, the solar facility will prevent the emissions of more than 2.75 million tons of greenhouse gases, which is the equivalent of removing more than 18,700 cars from the road every year for the life of the project, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The implementation of solar thermal technology will also decrease fossil-fuel usage by approximately 41 billion cubic feet of natural gas and more than 600,000 barrels of oil.