Greater Daytona Residents Embrace Eco-friendly Lifestyle

Joe Balog/West Volusia Beacon

When it comes to planning for a bright future, preservation and conservation in Daytona Beach and Volusia County are at the top of the list.

Ecological considerations are top of mind and close to the heart for Greater Daytona residents. Several times over recent decades, residents have voted to commit taxpayer funds specifically to acquire conservation lands and initiate environmental projects. 

Conservation in Daytona Beach and Volusia County

“Conservation and preservation are in the DNA of Volusia County,” says Brad Burbaugh, community services director for Volusia County. “We were the first county in the nation, in 1986, to pass a referendum issuing a bond to buy lands for conservation. We were out in the front saying, ‘This is our home, and we want to protect it.’ That’s really the essence of community.” 

A prime example of that type of approach in Volusia County can be found in DeBary, where trails (the city received an official Trail Town designation from the State of Florida in 2022), trees (DeBary was named to the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA list in 2021) and environmental tourism are all integral elements of the overall growth plan. 

“We weave an eco-lifestyle focus into the fabric of our community,” says Shari Simmans, director of economic development, communications and government affairs for the City of DeBary. “We do this through intentional sustainable development projects, combining residential and commercial growth with expanding greenspaces and trails. This mindset ensures that nature and residents converge to create a strong, healthy community.” 

Trails Lead the Way 

Three of the state’s major trail systems – the St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop, the Coast-to-Coast Trail and the Heart of Florida Loop – intersect in DeBary. City officials have been building upon that gift of geography by adding new trails within DeBary, while ensuring that everything links easily with the local SunRail commuter system. 

“We require new developers to add trails that connect to the major trail systems,” Simmans says. “So, we’ve created this trail community, integrating the SunRail system with the trailhead. We’re focused on using our natural assets to build this wonderful eco-community.” 

These trails provide vital links throughout the county and beyond. The 260-mile St. Johns River-to-Sea Loop runs north to St. Augustine, while the 250-mile Coast-to-Coast trail lives up to its name by crossing the state to the Gulf Coast at St. Petersburg. 

In addition, Volusia County is on the path of the massive East Coast Greenway, which stretches for nearly 3,000 miles from Maine to Key West. As the greenway passes through Volusia, it follows the Halifax River Trail for 4.5 miles from Ormond Beach to the Daytona Beach city limits, where it continues for another 4.5 miles as the Sweetheart Trail. 

“Trails makes a community more vibrant,” says Tim Baylie, Volusia County director of parks, recreation and culture. “It makes it easy for residents to get out and go for a walk or a bike ride. Then because of the length of these trails, folks will come here from throughout the state and beyond, which brings in economic development.”

Keeping Land on Hand 

Of course, what makes conservation in Daytona Beach and Volusia County possible is the commitment of officials throughout the region to keep land protected for public use. The City of DeBary recently added to those efforts with the purchase of 170 acres of undeveloped land along the St. Johns River called Alexander Island. The city is turning the land into a nature park with riverwalks, observation towers and kayak rentals. 

This is a continuation of the land-acquisition policies that began nearly 40 years ago. In addition, two major ballot initiatives that originally passed in 2000 – Volusia Forever and Volusia ECHO (environmental, cultural, historic and outdoor recreation) – were renewed in 2020 with more than 70% approval for each. The county has been able to secure approximately 55,000 acres through Volusia Forever, while ECHO has provided funding for more than 250 quality-of-life projects. 

“We’ve been using conservation as a smart-growth strategy,” Burbaugh says. “We’ve essentially conserved 42 square miles of the county. We’re protecting wildlife and species, keeping air and water clean, and allowing individuals to explore the wild heart of Volusia County.” 

Green Hydrogen Storage

As residents crank up their air conditioners in the heat of summer or their thermostats during the cold of winter, Duke Energy Florida now has a plan to meet such energy demands and also reduce power outages. 

Duke Energy Florida announced in late 2023 that the utility will construct and operate a system to produce, store and combust 100% green hydrogen, which will be an added power source to supply its residential and commercial customers during periods of high electricity usage. The hydrogen project is being built at the existing DeBary Solar Power Plant in Volusia County. 

“From a technology standpoint, it is groundbreaking what we are doing,” says Audrey Stasko, Duke Energy Florida spokesperson. “This 100% green hydrogen initiative is not only a first for our company, but a first in the United States.” 

The DeBary Solar Power Plant first opened in 2020 and is equipped with 300,000 solar panels. As the plant captures energy from the sun, it makes its way onto a collection grid to become electricity for powering homes and businesses. Now, a portion of that collected energy will be used to power two electrolyzer units that can split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. 

“The oxygen from the split water molecules will be released into the atmosphere, and the hydrogen will be stored in reinforced containers,” she says. “The stored green hydrogen can then be used during peak times when more energy is needed by our customers.” 

Stasko says the addition of 100% green hydrogen is a safe and quiet way to store additional energy, with no visual impact and zero greenhouse gas emissions. The company anticipates that the system will be installed and fully functional by late 2024 or early 2025. 

“This hydrogen project will feature low-key construction, with no tree removal or habitat impact or road closures, because the infrastructure is already largely in place at the DeBary facility,” she says. “Duke Energy anticipates that hydrogen could play a major role in our clean energy future, and this is a high-tech demonstration project to show the world how exciting that clean future can be.” 

Duke Energy Florida is an affiliate of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy. Duke Energy Florida supplies electricity to 1.9 million customers in the Sunshine State, including those in Volusia County.