Customer-OwnedRenewable Are Skyrocketing In Florida
Posted by
[FONT=Times New Roman]BetsyLillian](https://solarindustrymag.com/author/betsy-lillian/)[/FONT]
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July 5, 2018
With solar PVas the most popular renewable choice, customer-owned renewable generationincreased 51% in 2017 in Florida, according to new electric utilityreports filed with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC).
Thecommission says renewable system interconnections totaled 24,157 last year, asopposed to 15,994 interconnections in 2016.
“In 2008,after our net metering and interconnection rules were established, there were577 customer-owned renewable systems in Florida,” says Art Graham, chairman ofthe PSC. “Since then, the continued annual growth – totaling 4,100 percent – isa testament to the effectiveness of the PSC’s strategy to ‘prime the pump’ forrooftop solar.”
&generation capacity from renewable energy systems increased 46% over2016, reaching 204,755 kW, according to the PSC.
The PSC saysits net metering rules promote development of customer-owned renewable generationthat also lowers utility bills.
When customers generate more energy than they use in a billing cycle, the excess energy is credited to their next bill tooffset costs.
Further,Florida’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs) – Florida Power & Light Co., DukeEnergy Florida LLC, Tampa Electric Co., Gulf Power Co.,
and FloridaPublic Utilities Co. – are required by the PSC to offer an expeditedinterconnection agreement process.
Thecommission explains that municipal electric utility and rural electric cooperativecustomers also have renewable generation incentives.
Every Florida municipal and cooperative that sells electricity at retail is required, by statute, to provide a standardized interconnection
agreement andnet metering program for customer-owned renewable generation systems.
However,according to the Solar Energy Industries Association](https://www.seia.org/state-solar-policy/florida-solar)(SEIA), the state’s solar policies still “lag behind many other states in thenation,”
seeing asFlorida does not have a renewable portfolio standard and does not allow powerpurchase agreements, SEIA says.
According tothe PSC, Florida’s utilities reported the following information oncustomer-owned renewable generation for 2013-2017:
Source:Florida PSC