It’s an absolute joke that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would do anything but sign HB741, a bill crafted with the help of Florida Power & Light lobbyists that effectively kills a majority of solar incentives. After all, the company already sunk $30,035 into DeSantis’ reelection campaign. And DeSantis, for his part, has previously stated he’s opposed to solar subsidies and never seemed all that interested in renewables, having signed legislation last year that barred Florida cities from setting 100% renewable energy goals. Under HB741, which would go into effect on July 1 if signed into law, Floridians with solar panels will receive much less for selling back excess power to energy companies. Often known as “net metering,” the practice of crediting solar panel leasers and owners for the energy they generate has led to a major uptick in solar adoption in Florida. But HB741 would reduce the amount that consumers make off of their excess solar energy. It’s even worse for those new to solar.
Customers with pending net metering applications will receive diminishing returns that much faster, depending on when their applications are approved. Energy usage credits will be slashed form Jan. 1, 2024 onward, with any Floridian whose net metering application is approved between Jan. 1, 2027 and Dec. 31, 2028 only receiving a 50% energy usage credit. HB741 also allows public utilities to petition the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to impose new charges to solar customers, starting after Jan. 1, 2024. Once a market penetration rate of more than 6.5% is achieved for customers who own or lease solar, the PSC is required to adopt a new rule, though it’s unclear what that entails. If anything, it just seems like Florida is heading in the wrong direction for renewables and doing the exact opposite of what solar advocates and even most Floridians want. According to a recent Mason-Dixon poll, 84% of respondents in Florida support net metering initiatives.
Lawmakers seem to either not understand what net metering is or just not care enough to fight back. Strangely, it isn’t a matter of FPL paying off the entire Florida House and Senate: Of the 24 Florida state senators who voted to pass HB741, nine have taken previous campaign donations from FPL. Of the 83 Florida House members who voted to pass HB741, 10 have previously taken campaign donations from FPL. This doesn’t account for any dark money deals FPL may be doing, which in the past has included funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to Consumers for Smart Solar, a so-called advocacy group almost entirely funded by utilities companies that pushed Amendment 1, which would’ve given Florida’s power companies more power to enact anti-solar measures had it passed in 2016. FPL is no stranger to making shady donations. As I’ve previously reported, it is startlingly difficult to track all the donations FPL makes because of their penchant for sending millions to groups that then transfer that money to anonymous donors.
The Orlando Sentinel also points out that FPL likely funneled money into a suspicious nonprofit now known as Grow United Inc. that was attached to the “ghost candidates” scandal in which three nonexistent candidates ran for Senate seats in an effort to tip the scales more toward Republican candidates. All three actual Republican candidates ended up winning their races. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs has opened an investigation into the “ghost candidates” scandal. Former state Sen. Frank Artile was arrested and charged with bribing one of the “ghost candidates” to run. It’s anyone’s guess what will emerge from FPL’s constant lobbying to turn HB741 into a reality.
