The majority of huge photovoltaic and other solar farms are being built in the arid, U.S. Southwest, in states like California, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.

But now the Southeast will see its first utility-scale solar project, a 400-megawatt project being developed by National Solar Group which will be located in Gadsden, County, Fla.

The project will consist of 20, 20-megawatt photovoltaic farms on lots throughout Gadsden County, according to Ryan Banfill, a spokesperson for the company. Each farm will cover about 200 acres and the whole project will cover 4,000 acres, he said.

The company had also considered solar sites for the $1.5 billion project in other counties, including elsewhere in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

It’s still considering those sites for future projects.

“They continue to have discussions with these communities that were in the running for this project,” Banfill said. “The most fruitful so far has been in Hardee County [Fla.]. They’re looking into having an announcement in the future about a meaningful project.”

The projects in Gadsden County will be developed on low-impact timber land that’s either been cut down or replanted.

“Gadsden County was chosen for this significant project for many reasons, including its great year-round climate, strong community leadership, incredibly inviting regional support and the strong potential for future economic growth,” James Scrivener, CEO of National Solar Power, said in a press release.

The company is now working on moving forward with other aspects of the solar project.

“The next phase is the financing phase,” Banfill said. “They’re having talks with some very well known financial institutions. By January, they hope to have the committed capital. But they had to touch first and second base before they hit third.”

First and second bases were naming the site and starting to sign power-purchase agreements for the power produced by the site, respectively.

“They have an agreement with Progress Energy Florida. I think it serves about a third of the state,” Banfill said.

They’re also seeking other power-purchase agreements, according to Banfill.

“They’re in discussions for some other utilities and will wait to announce them when they are inked finally,” he said.

The company still has some time before it will break ground on the project.

“They’re looking at breaking ground by the end of the first quarter of 2012. They want to have the first farm segment up and running by the end of 2012,” Banfill said.

Image courtesy National Solar Power.