National Solar Power announced the names of seven communities in the southeast U.S. that are in serious contention to be the one chosen by the company as the site for the construction and operation of the world's largest solar farm. The finalists' list of communities includes four in Florida, two in Georgia and one in North Carolina.

"We are excited about the progress we have made in narrowing the search for establishing our groundbreaking solar farm project that will provide a source for renewable energy for consumers while boosting job creation and economic health in the winning community," said James Scrivener, CEO of National Solar Power, the utility solar solutions company based in Melbourne, Florida.

"Over the next month we will continue our due diligence and make a final decision about where this revolutionary venture will make its permanent home. Every one of the communities on our finalist list is an attractive location for this project."

The communities National Solar Power has selected as finalists to become the location of the world's largest solar farm are:

Florida: Gadsden, Hardee, Osceola and Suwannee counties.

Georgia: Sumter and Tatnall counties

North Carolina: Guilford County (Greensboro-area)

National Solar Power plans to establish a 400-megawatt solar project in the winning community - which would make it the world' s largest photovoltaic (PV) power plant. The project is made up of 20 related 200-acre solar farms, with each generating more than 20-megawatts of renewable energy. Currently, the world's largest solar power plant is an 80-megawatt solar project in Ontario, Canada.

By converting the natural power of the sun into electricity, National Solar Power's planned 400-megawatt farm will be capable of providing enough renewable energy to power roughly 32,000 homes.

National Solar Power's criteria in selecting its community partner for the new solar farm location includes finding ideal available sites with adequate supply of undeveloped land that can properly meet infrastructure needs related to the establishment of the solar facility. Receiving appropriate business, government and community support and qualifying for appropriate economic development and tax incentives; and access to a qualified work force.

Scrivener said the company's final process for selecting a community partner will include a combination of ongoing site visits in some communities and strategic conversations with key political/governmental, business and community leaders.

Injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the winning community, National Solar Power's landmark project has the potential to create 400 jobs during the five-year construction phase and up to 120 permanent jobs - all based on a clean energy endeavor. The first phase of the solar farm project is expected to be up and running within six months of construction commencing.

Hensel Phelps Construction Co., a world leader in construction, will design, build and operate the solar farms for National Solar Power. Once a final site is selected, it will take around six months for the first segment of the farm to be constructed. Each of the 20 farm segments represents a $70 million invesent. When construction of the solar farm is complete in six years, it will represent a nearly $1.5 billion invesent in the winning community.

Once operational, the low-profile solar farms will be less than seven-feet tall and surrounded by vegetation, making them inconspicuous to the surrounding area.

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