Orange County Mayor Richard T. Crotty has announced Orange County has received a $1.8 million State of Florida grant to help fund a giant photovoltaic system and education center at the Orange County Convention Center. The grant was awarded through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (FDEP) Renewable Energy Technologies 2007 Grant Program and will be matched by a $3.8 million commitment from Orange County Government and a $1.5 million commitment from the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC). Mayor Crotty made the announcement  at the University of Central Florida as part of a nationwide Global Warming teach-in called "Focus the Nation". "We in Orange County are committed to doing our part, and we're proud to more forward with this clean energy project, " said Mayor Crotty. " By working together, we can bring about a cleaner, greener Central Florida and a better world."

Once installed, the photovoltaic panels will cover an area larger than five football fields. It will be the largest solar panel system the Southeast. It's expected to generate 1 megawatt of electricity, enough to power 80 to 100 homes.