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posted by cmn32480 on Saturday October 24 2015, @03:06PM   Printer-friendly
from the what-sunny-state-will-be-next dept.

The Center for American Progress reports

Solar power could soon be flourishing [in] the Sunshine State. [On October 22,] the Florida Supreme Court approved [PDF] an initiative for the 2016 ballot that would allow Floridians to vote to reduce the state's restrictions on rooftop solar power.

Although solar is growing exponentially nationwide, it has not thrived in Florida. Florida is one of a handful of states that prohibit residents from purchasing electricity from a source other than an electric utility. This has locked out third-party solar rooftop companies, such as SolarCity and SunRun, which install rooftop solar panels on a customer's property at no cost and sell solar-generated power to that customer at a reduced electric rate.

As ThinkProgress previously reported, a coalition of solar advocates called Floridians for Solar Choice has been leading the effort to change this policy by pursuing a ballot initiative to permit third-party financing for rooftop solar by private companies. To get the initiative on the ballot, Florida required the coalition to first collect 68,314 voter signatures and then have the initiative language approved by the state Supreme Court.

On [October 22], the ballot initiative cleared this major hurdle when the Florida Supreme Court approved the "Solar Choice Amendment" for the November 2016 ballot. Advocates now have to collect the requisite 683,149 signatures to ensure the initiative goes on the ballot. It will then have to pass with 60 percent of the vote in 2016.

[...] In 2008, the Florida [Public Service Commission--the state body responsible for regulating electricity--]released a report saying that rooftop solar alone had the potential to generate nearly 100 times [the current 530 MW derived from renewables in Florida]. [PDF]

Meanwhile, "public servant" Pam Bondi, Florida's Attorney General, continues to fight on multiple fronts to block renewables.


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  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday October 24 2015, @08:14PM

    by frojack (1554) on Saturday October 24 2015, @08:14PM (#254087) Journal

    Exactly.

    The installed cost is falling every day, and locking yourself into a long term payment plan by the KWH seems sort of silly at this time.
    Even if you assume a 20 year fixed KWH price from one of these "Your-Roof, Our-System" operators you still are locked into a price in a falling price market.

    And if someone else owns the equipment on your house, that means your title to your house is encumbered. You may well find you have to pay off
    the system just to sell your house [newsmax.com].

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @09:01PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @09:01PM (#254108)

    > you still are locked into a price in a falling price market.

    lolwut?

    At best residential fees for centralized power never drop more than a few percent even when oil prices have halved. Factor in inflation and the fixed price solar contract is the one with a falling price, not the utility.

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @09:51PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 24 2015, @09:51PM (#254122)

      Except you'd never see those falling prices because you'd be locked into paying whatever price was determined when the contract was signed. Are you really so naive that you think they'd let anybody sign a contract that wouldn't have the falling prices increase their profit margin?

    • (Score: 2) by frojack on Saturday October 24 2015, @11:14PM

      by frojack (1554) on Saturday October 24 2015, @11:14PM (#254138) Journal

      The price of solar is falling daily.
      But if you sign a contract with one of these "Your Roof, Our Power" solar companies you will never see that drop.

      --
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      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 26 2015, @04:38AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 26 2015, @04:38AM (#254525)

        > The price of solar is falling daily.
        > But if you sign a contract with one of these "Your Roof, Our Power" solar companies you will never see that drop.

        Duh! Same thing if you bought it outright too. Come on man...