UPDATE: Solar Choice is Protected, for Now
A very strong show of support for rooftop solar in Florida has helped to maintain the state’s net metering rule. The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) decided not to act to change the rule at its September 17 workshop on Customer-Owned Renewable Generation. The workshop could have led to subsequent changes to the rule. Fortunately, the workshop ended with no move to change the Sunshine State’s cornerstone rule for solar development.
Thank you to the thousands of Floridians that filed comments with the PSC. Your voice made the difference. But, we must continue to remain vigilant.
Help protect Solar Choice in the Sunshine State!
In the midst of a global pandemic, an economic crisis, and an active hurricane season, we should not be making moves to roll back an important policy known as ‘net metering’ which enables solar owners to be fairly compensated for the extra energy they generate and provide to the electricity grid.
Solar has had enormous growth in Florida in the last four years due, in part, to policies like net metering that are beneficial for everyone regardless of how they utilize energy in their home or businesses.
Now is not the time to fix something that isn’t broken.
We must ensure the Florida Public Service Commission knows Floridians want to protect good solar policies like net metering so we can choose how to power our homes and businesses.
Floridians deserve
a fair choice
Florida is poised to become the Southeastern leader in solar energy—finally living up to its nickname The Sunshine State.
However, harnessing this cleaner, sustainable power source depends on maintaining fair and clear policies for how we power our homes and businesses.
How we help
Floridians for Solar Choice is a broad grassroots coalition launched in 2015 to ensure Floridians have the right to power their homes and businesses with clean, affordable electricity by harnessing the power of the sun.
In 2020, Florida ranks #4 among states for producing electricity from the sun, employing over 12,000 people statewide in the solar installation and maintenance industry.
On the surface, it seems that the Sunshine State's future with homegrown clean solar energy looks bright. However...
Are there attempts to sabotage solar?
Solar Choice means customers should have the right to install rooftop solar on their homes and businesses and be compensated at a fair price for the extra power they provide to the electricity grid.
However, a utility front group and the Florida Public Service Commission may be quietly preparing to end net metering in the Sunshine State during a pandemic.
Net metering allows solar owners to earn money or credits for any excess solar energy their system produces, which leads to savings for the homeowner and helps make rooftop solar affordable for more families and businesses.
Rooftop solar in the crosshairs?
Florida's net metering policies currently allow solar customers to receive full, fair retail credit from their utility for the excess energy they produce and send along to the electricity grid.
And it's not just solar owners who benefit.
All electricity customers could see higher bills if net metering programs disappear, which would be yet another blow to our economy when we can least afford it.
Floridians deserve better.
What is net metering?
Winning the right for solar choice
In 2015, when past legislative efforts to overcome barriers to solar were thwarted by large monopoly power companies in Florida, a broad grassroots coalition called Floridians for Solar Choice came together to try and give Floridians a voice and a choice on energy in the Sunshine State. The FSC coalition attempted to place a constitutional amendment on the Florida ballot that would give Florida’s families and businesses the right to choose solar power. Despite approval from the state Supreme Court, it became too costly to gather the signatures necessary for FSC's proposed amendment appear on the ballot so the coalition pivoted to address two other proposed amendments related to solar energy rights.
On the August 2016 primary ballot, Floridians overwhelmingly supported the legislative proposal known as Amendment 4, a bi-partisan proposal to remove the burdensome personal property tax and real estate taxes on solar energy. Supported by a broad coalition, Amendment 4 passed with more than 72% of the vote and was enacted into law in 2017 by the Florida Legislature and will now help Floridians lower energy costs by reducing the tax burden that currently exists for solar equipment. With lower taxes for homeowners and businesses, we will see more solar energy development enabling Floridians to lock in energy savings, create jobs, spur economic development, and bring much-needed diversity to our state’s energy mix!
And in November of 2016, Floridians rejected the utility-backed Amendment 1, which was a deceptive attempt to suppress solar. Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente agreed with a diverse coalition of solar supporters who felt that Amendment 1 was “masquerading” as a pro-solar energy initiative but was really a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
Keeping our focus on protecting and expanding solar choice
It looks like solar net metering is safe for now.
A very strong show of support for rooftop solar in Florida has helped to maintain the state’s net metering rule. The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) decided not to act to change the rule at its September 17 workshop on Customer-Owned Renewable Generation. The workshop could have led to subsequent changes to the rule. Fortunately, the workshop ended with no move to change the Sunshine State’s cornerstone rule for solar development.
Our collective efforts in 2015, 2016, and 2020 have paid off. It's important to keep watching to safeguard solar policies in the Sunshine State. These protections and amendment passings are crucial steps to help the Sunshine State out of the darkness to become a leader in the solar industry. If there's one thing we learned from our fight for solar rights, it's that we have the power to influence our energy choices when solar supporters like you join together! This is just the beginning of opening up solar in the Sunshine State. We must continue to boost the pro-solar voter turnout in future elections to support good solar policy and defend against anti-solar attacks.
Floridians for Solar Choice, Coalition Partners
350.org
All WoMen Rising
Audubon Society of the Everglades
Central Florida Solar Advocates
Christian Coalition of America
Clean Water Action
The Cleo Institute
The Climate Reality Project
Collier Citizens for Sustainability
Conservancy of Southwest Florida
Conservatives for Energy Freedom
Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship
Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida
Earth Ethics, Inc.
Earthjustice
Ecology Party of Florida
Environmental Coalition of Miami & the Beaches (ECOMB)
Environmental Defense Fund
Environment Florida
Evangelical Environmental Network
Everglades Coalition
Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy
Florida Retail Federation
Florida Solar Energy Industries Association
Florida Alliance for Retired Americans
Florida Green Chamber of Commerce
Florida Renewable Energy Association
Florida Restaurant and Lodging Assoc.
Florida Wildlife Federation
Friends of the Everglades
Green Party of Florida
Greenpeace USA
H & H Design and Construction Inc.
Hands Across the Sand
Hernando County Democratic Club
IDEAS for Us
Interfaith Justice League
League of Women Voters of Florida
Libertarian Party of Florida
Libertarian Party of Seminole County
Mosaic
National Equal Rights Amendment Alliance, Inc.
Oceana
Organize Now
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Florida
Progress Florida
ReThink Energy Florida
Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida
Republican Liberty Caucus of Tampa Bay
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation
SEIA
Sierra Club Florida
Solar Education Association of Florida Keys
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
South Florida Audubon Society
South Florida Wildlands Association
Space Coast Climate Change Initiative
Space Coast Progressive Alliance
Stewards Of Sustainability
Sunshine State Interfaith Power and Light
Surfrider Foundation
The Tea Party Network
Tropical Audubon Society
Union of Concerned Scientists
Unitarian Universalist Justice Florida
U.S. Green Building Council North Florida Chapter
Venice Area Audubon Society
Women4Solar
WTEC
WISE – Women in Solar Energy