Florida Power & Light has received a positive response for its proposed plans for a solar thermal farm next to its Parrish power plant.

According to bradenton.com, Manatee County commissioners "were very receptive" as John C. Gnecco, FPL's manager for project development, gave the Board of County Commissioners a preview of the project the company will present to the county Planning and Zoning Commission in March.

The power company is looking to install hundreds of solar mirrors to focus the sun's energy on a heat-absorbing fluid, which in turn heats a water boiler. In the boiler, the water is turned into steam that will turn an electricity-generating turbine. The mirrors will cover about 600 acres on three separate tracts on the 9,500-acre FPL power plant site on the north side of State Road 62, just east of U.S. 301.

Doug Means, the county's environmental administrator, said his department has been to the site and is preparing a report for the commission on the types of wetlands that will be affected. "Florida Power & Light has gone back and redesigned the proposal to reduce the impact by 25 percent," Means said.

According to another report, filed by sarasotaspeaks.com, FPL's Rae Dowling said the company is not proposing a solar thermal plant yet -- they have only approached Manatee County for rezoning. FPL spokesperson Jackie Anderson said the power plant in Parrish is one of the places being considered for the solar thermal array.

Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash (as reported by sarasotaspeaks.com) thinks that the solar thermal array will be built in Parrish and that FPL will receive financial incentives to construct it."They're planning on utilising the site for a solar field, dependent from other types of, I guess, credits that Florida Power & Light is going after to justify the project. But it's a good indication, at least in our opinion, that Florida Power & Light's serious commitment to this area for alternative energy."