Net Metering Faces Conflict in Florida

The sunshine state has made an effort to allow Floridians to make use of solar energy. However, over the weekend, two organizations that support the continued access to home solar power in the sunshine state released a report that signals the threat of utility monopolies that are looking to remove Floridian’s rights to solar use.

Both Vote Solar and Solar United Neighbors released a report that informs Americans on the potential elimination of a policy named net metering.

The report, called the State of Rooftop Solar in Florida,” details how net metering provides an additional layer of resilience for communities while facing hurricanes and major storms. If net metering is removed, then it would threaten the jobs of more than 12,000 Floridians who are employed in the solar industry.

Angela DeMonbreun, the regional director for Solar United Neighbors, commented that “net metering ensures fairness for solar owners and all electric customers,” adding that “it is the lynchpin of our right to take control of where our electricity comes from.” As well, “DeMonbreun stressed that “this right shouldn’t go away because it means a monopoly utility. Is making less money.”

Moreover, George Riley, the State Director for Conservatives for Clean Energy, echoed in her remarks, expressing that “ultimately. It’s a question of choice and sovereignty – net metering is an important market option that helps Floridians to manage our electricity usage the way we want.”

It’s reported that in 2019 almost 60,000 Florida households and businesses went solar.

If net metering is eliminated, both organizations argue that it would be a personal attack on the private finances of those who’ve gone solar.