Florida is edge nearer to changing the res publica ’s solar industry — and individual possession of solar venire — for the worse .
A pair of bills , both heavily back by utility interests , made big footmark forrader in the state legislature this calendar week . What ’s more , the utility has taken up blogging , of all thing , to defend its honor . Stay kooky , Florida !
Despite the widespread public foeman and interior attention on the government note ’ shady ties to Florida Power and Light ( FPL ) , one of the Department of State ’s most brawny utilities , both the Senate and House anti - solar greenback are cruising through the legislature . Last week , a subcommitteegranted the visor , HB 741 , its first approval in the House . On Tuesday , ashundreds of pro - rooftop - solar protesters rallied against the bill in Tallahassee , the Senate version of the bill , SB 1024,passed its final subcommittee in a 6 - 3 party - line vote , discharge the way for a full vote .
Workers install a solar panel system on the roof of a home in Palmetto Bay, Florida.Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)
Both the Senate and House banker’s bill deal with what ’s known as net metering , which is a drill that let common people who put solar panel on their cap trade spare electricity that they generate to the utility and put it back on the grid . The legislation would allow utility to lower the amount of reference they give solar customer for excess electrical energy and make them with extra fees , thus eradicate a major incentive to install solar panels in the first topographic point .
last meteringhelpsmake rooftop solar more attractive to customers , keep on the solar installing diligence running , and makes more renewable DOE available on the grid during likely peak lode times ( like very hot days ) . It also encourage more local multiplication , which eliminates emphasis on dispersion systems . Net metering , however , is not attractive to utility involvement that want to continue to be the exclusive seed of power for customers .
Florida Power and Light ( FPL ) , the state ’s largest usefulness , is n’t a vast fan of net metering . Only 1 % of customer in Florida actually utilize final metering , but rooftop solar installations haveexploded since 2018 , when Modern regulations allowed multitude to pull panels for cheap ; minuscule - musical scale solar in Floridashot up by 57 % in 2020 alone . FPL says that this speedy growth of rooftop solar could cost Florida public utility up to $ 700 million by 2025 . ( The Senate version of the poster has since had a compromise amendment add that wouldgrandfather in pace for current rooftop solar owners , but opponents say the handbill would still kneecap the industriousness ’s growth . )
This is n’t the first time that FPL has tried to finish net metering in the United States Department of State — and not the first time that they ’ve used sneaky prank to try and reach their goal . In 2016 , FPLjoined three other muscular utilities in the stateto agitate an anti - solar ballot measure , billed as a “ Smart Solar ” amendment . Since rooftop solar enjoyed spacious popularity in Florida , the campaign was presented by advocator as a pro - solar measure , but actually used rhetorical antic to encumber last metering and typeset other restrictions and fee on rooftop solar owners . After attract national attention , the amendment was defeated .
Now , FPL is trying again — and they seem to be recur to immediately pay politicians this fourth dimension around . In December , leaked emailsjointly reported by the Miami Herald and Floodlight showed how FPL lobbyist met with a first - terminal figure state senator , Jennifer Bradley , directly draft the text of an anti - net metering circular , and delivered it to Bradley ’s office . Two solar day later , NextEra Energy , FPL ’s parent company and the big utility in the nation , gave $ 10,000 to Bradley ’s political citizens committee . The matching House adaptation of the bill , meanwhile , was introduced by Rep. Lawrence McClure , who has have money from various reservoir with ties to FPL and NextEra Energy ; he subsequently got a $ 10,000 contribution from an constitution with draw to that internet , harmonise to the Herald / Floodlight report .
FPL , it seems , had a bounteous problem with having their job say out to the humans like that . In early January , they post a 1,000 - plus wordblogfull of allegation about the Miami Herald ’s reporting , including charges that the reporter who led the story on their fiscal tie-up to the anti - net metering account had “ attempted to influence ” a politician during a conversation . ( The Heraldreportedthat they obtain a wide-cut transcription of the real interaction between their reporter and the politico and that FPL ’s accusations were out of context . )
yield how well these bills seem to be going , you guys might need to lay off the blog - based flack . Buying the legislative body seems to be working just fine .
DOE
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