Join Us | Tell a Friend | Home Florida Utilities Trying to Buy the Sun ...with a little help from the State House Investor-owned utilities in Florida must have been extra nice to the legislature of late, because that august body is happily processing a bill that would give the utilities almost total control over deployment of solar power in the Sunshine State, cutting out competition and diluting the value of customer-owned Solar to near zero. Can you make a noise about this? The bill, SPB7082, allows FP&L and other large utilities in Florida to control all aspects of renewable energy in the state, effectively deciding what (if anything) gets built. It denies independent renewable energy developers access to the grid, a measure that will cause mass unemployment in a sector in which Florida should be leading the nation. The bill will also, if passed, massively reduce the value of net metering in Florida. No longer will owners of solar installations be able to sell the energy they produce to the grid for full retail value; SPB7082 will allow the utilities to pay much less for this power. And the third strike will come when these utilities pass on rate increases related to renewable energy to you, the customer, without needing to get Public Service Commission approval. Three strikes and you're out. But isn't there an umpire around to ensure fair play? Not if SBP passes. Because then the Florida Energy Office and Climate Change Commission gets eliminated and replaced by a self-regulating government entity with little requirement for public disclosure. And since there is nothing in the bill to promote a renewable energy standard, the utilities will have no statutory need to produce a single watt of clean energy. This is an unimaginably bad bill. It destroys competition and puts our state's renewable energy development squarely in the hands of those who want nothing to do with renewables. It's a munificent gift to investor-owned utilities from friends in the State House--not your friends, since you're paying for the gift--but definitely theirs. Can you send a message to your state representatives and senators, telling them why you think this bill stinks as much as the smokestack of a coal-burning power plant? Take Action Now! Enter Your Zip Code: powered by CQ Roll Call ©2011 Copyright © 2007, Solar Nation All Rights Reserved. Solar Nation * Take Action Now! < click here to take action!
That really pisses me off! I sent messages to both Coley and Gaetz - not that I think Coley gives a rat's patoot about what the voters think.
. Thanks for posting this Gidget. I had read this was coming up. My e-mails have been sent. Now lets hope "The Honorables" will live up to the title...:roll: .
I'm not really shocked, this has been one of the issues of renewable energy from the beginning, there's no long term profit in it.
There is still plenty of profit in it - the power company buys renewable power from homeowners/other producers at a lower rate than they charge consumers for it.
True, but the profit margins just not there, especially if people start going off grid and storing the power themselves.
Trust me FP&L is pure evil and simply wants to charge the same for solar they aren't producing as they do for coal, natural gas, nuclear, and hydro.
Bill is dead - at least that's what I read. This is the third year the bill has been the priority of Florida Power & Light, and it is the third time the bill has died. Thanks for reading about this and for voicing your opinion to lawmakers. Gidget
A French oil and gas giant, Total, is taking a majority equity stake in U.S. solar manufacturer SunPower. Total has announced a strategic partnership and ownership stake in SunPower, a California-based solar panel manufacturer. Sun Power has received loan guarantees from the DOE to the tune of almost $2 billion for the 250-megawatt California Valley Solar Ranch that is being jointly built by SunPower and NGR Solar. Total invests billions in leading U.S. solar manufacturer | Smartplanet .
Thanks Rita - I'll have to read up on that company and share this article with my dh. I swear, he has a PhD in solar now. I've never knew there was so much to learn. I'm learning daily too! Gidget
