November 8, 2016 | By RGR Marketing Blog

Making Sure the Laws Tip in Solar’s Favor

As a solar installer, you know how much a solar-friendly political climate matters – not just for your business, but for solar users, as well. If you’re reading this article, then chances are good that you do your best to stay up to date on energy policy so you can pass your knowledge on to your clients.

With this in mind, Florida’s amendment 1 is a piece of legislation that you need to know about, even if your home market is far away from the Sunshine State. Read on for more information on this upcoming ballot measure that could benefit or harm your future solar prospects.

FL’s Amendment 1: Appearances Can Be Deceiving

At first glance, Florida’s Amendment 1 appears to be staunchly pro-solar. The full ballot title for the amendment is “Rights of Electricity Consumers Regarding Solar Energy Choice”; the amendment has a catchy slogan: “Yes on 1 For the Sun,” and also has a logo that appears to celebrate the bounty of the sun’s energy.

It sounds innocuous enough, doesn’t it? But if you actually read the bill’s language, you’ll find that it’s not even remotely pro-solar. Nor does it protect the rights of solar consumers.

In fact, this is a bill designed specifically to benefit the big utility companies and to limit consumer choice.

How Would Amendment 1 Change Things in Florida?

So how would Amendment 1’s passage change solar policy in Florida? It would have Florida’s existing solar statutes enshrined into the state constitution, making it more difficult to enact progressive solar policies in the future.

This move would also give consumers the constitutional right to own or to lease solar equipment for their own use, which sounds good – until you dig a little deeper.

You see, Floridians already have a statutory right to own or to lease solar equipment. Making that right part of the constitution really wouldn’t change anything for solar adopters.

However, the Amendment doesn’t provide for the possibility of solar installers to erect solar arrays on the property of others, and then sell the generated electricity back to them.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because that’s exactly how power purchase agreements work. As you know, PPAs and solar leases are extremely popular choices for consumers who want to save money by going solar, but who don’t have the capital necessary to purchase their own solar arrays outright.

Amendment 1 also would create a constitutional mandate that would allow utilities to charge fees to solar users, as a way of recovering energy grid upkeep. The assumption here is that solar users aren’t paying their fair share to maintain the utilities’ energy grid, which many solar users rely on for backup energy.

However, studies conducted by the utilities themselves have found that solar consumers who rely on the grid and use net metering actually provide a net benefit, even for the utilities.

Who Is Backing Florida’s Amendment 1?

Clearly, Amendment 1’s creators are relying on obfuscation and the resulting confusion to get voters to support a bill that they’d never otherwise back.

So who is behind this devious ballot measure? If you guessed “big utilities and big oil,” give yourself 10 bonus points.

Duke Energy, Florida Power and Light, Tampa Electric Company, ExxonMobil, Gulf Power, and the infamous Koch Brothers all back amendment 1. They’ve even gone so far as to funnel money through organizations such as “Let’s Preserve the American Dream” and the “Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy.”

What’s more, this little consortium has adopted the name “Consumers for Smart Solar.” Consumers, indeed.

Educate Your Current and Future Solar Customers

Clearly, Amendment 1 is a giveaway to monopoly utilities, and has nothing to do with protecting solar users. And the fact that it’s masquerading as a pro-solar piece of legislation is disturbing to many.

Educate your customers on Amendment 1, whether you do business in Florida or not. Think of it this way: if Amendment 1 can pass in Florida, it’ll only be a matter of time before similar legislation pops up in your home state.

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