Florida Emerging as Solar Leader in the Southeast

Second annual Solar in the Southeast Report Highlights Increased Momentum and Solar Commitments in the Sunshine State

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy held a telephone press conference on April 11 to address media questions on the report. The recording is available here. Speakers included:

Dr. Stephen A. Smith, Executive Director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Bryan Jacob, Solar Program Director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
John D. Wilson, Deputy Director for Regulatory Policy, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Tallahassee, Fla. – Led by an expanded solar commitment from Florida Power and Light (FPL), Florida is beginning to live up to its name as the “Sunshine State”. FPL specifically is picking up momentum with announcements that will double its annual pace of solar expansion for the next decade. The Solar in the Southeast 2018 Annual Report from Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) was released today, providing a comprehensive look at the region and highlighting solar data and trends, including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Using the metric “watts per customer,” which looks at the amount of installed solar relative to the total number of customers served, SACE offers a unique analysis, with detailed information at the regional, state, and utility level. The watts per customer metric provides an unbiased standard by which utilities and states can be compared and contrasted.

Florida has four utilities who are classified as “Sunrisers” leading the way in smart solar development with the highest forecast four-year increase in this watts per customer solar ratio. The leading utilities include Tampa Electric, FPL, Orlando (OUC), and Jacksonville (JEA), who along with Duke Energy Florida almost tied at watts per customer. Florida is also seeing a surge in residential and commercial scale solar, thanks in part to continued strong net metering policies throughout the state and the approval of several new solar leasing programs by the Florida Public Service Commission.

“We are very pleased to see some of the key utility players making significant solar commitments in the Sunshine State,” said Dr. Stephen A. Smith, Executive Director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “As this development continues, Florida will become a national leader and Floridians will see real economic and environmental benefits flow to customers throughout the state.”

The full report can be viewed here.

###

About the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Since 1985, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has worked to promote responsible energy choices to ensure clean, safe and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. Learn more at www.cleanenergy.org.