Proposed Solar Energy Amendment To Compete With Utility Companies

The Solar Initiative Amendment would allow businesses to generate and sell their own solar power to neighboring businesses.

“This would give customers a third option where someone owns the equipment, and someone just buys the power,” said Barry Jacobson, president of Solar Impact.

Some Florida cities worry the new sales initiative would bring unwanted competition for utility companies, but utility companies might not have a choice in having to change their business model.

Wendell Porter, University of Florida life sciences lecturer, said the price of solar, wind and other energy alternatives are dropping while the price of fossil fuel is going up.

There’s still work to be done to get the solar amendment on the November 2016 ballot. The groups involved have turned in about 12-percent of signatures needed and the ballot language still needs approval from the Florida Supreme Court.