According to electric utility reports filed with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), customer-owned renewable generation increased 51 percent in 2017. Renewable system interconnections totaled 24,157 last year, as opposed to 15,994 interconnections in 2016.
“In 2008, after our net metering and interconnection rules were established, there were 577 customer-owned renewable systems in Florida,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham. “Since then, the continued annual growth—totaling 4,100 percent—is a testament to the effectiveness of the PSC’s strategy to ‘prime the pump’ for rooftop solar.”
Statewide, electric generation capacity from renewable energy systems increased 46 percent over 2016, reaching 204,755 kilowatts (kW). Solar photovoltaic panels continue to be the most popular renewable choice.
PSC rules promote development of customer-owned, clean renewable generation that 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 to offset costs.
Florida’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs)—Florida Power & Light Company; Duke Energy Florida, LLC; Tampa Electric Company; Gulf Power Company; and Florida Public Utilities Company—are required by the rules to offer an expedited interconnection agreement process.
Municipal electric utility and rural electric cooperative customers 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 and net metering program for customer-owned renewable generation systems.
Florida’s utilities reported the following information on customer-owned renewable generation for 2013-2017.
Individual utility reports on customer-owned renewable systems and summary data are available on the PSC’s website.
Residents interested in learning more about interconnecting renewable generation systems or net metering should contact their local utility.
For additional information, visit floridapsc.com.
