Guest opinion: Save rooftop solar

Bob Moore
·1 min read
Southwest Florida's Babcock Ranch is American's first solar-powered town.
Southwest Florida's Babcock Ranch is American's first solar-powered town.

Climate scientists overwhelmingly agree that we must take immediate action to reduce the amount of CO2 and methane going into our atmosphere or face devastating environmental consequences. Renewable energy, like rooftop solar, is a critical component of addressing the climate crisis.

There are also economic benefits to investments in solar. Nationally, solar installer is one of the fastest growing jobs in the country. In the Sunshine State, which produces the 3rd most electricity from solar panels in the country, rooftop solar supports nearly 40,500 jobs.

Bob Moore
Bob Moore

But those jobs and the savings Florida residents can achieve by going solar are at risk by anti-competitive legislation introduced in the House and the Senate this legislative session.

More: FPL to build new solar plant near Immokalee

More: Sales continue to surge at Babcock Ranch with more than 1,500 homes sold

Senate bill SB 1024 and House bill HB 741 seek to undermine current solar net metering statutes in the state, which are critical to a thriving solar industry.

Florida should be a leader in addressing climate change through renewable energy and promote market competition and job creation for Floridians. By contrast, these bills would:

  • Remove language from statute calling for the state legislature to promote the spread of clean, renewable energy;

  • Codify anti-solar utility talking points into law (these bills were first drafted by Florida’s largest utility);

  • Reduce the amount that utilities compensate for customer-generated clean, renewable energy;

  • Allow utilities to impose new charges, fees, and minimum bills, which hurt Florida consumers.

Please ask your representatives in the Florida House and Senate to oppose these bills.

Bob Moore is senior vice president of a Boston-based health care company. He also volunteers with local nonprofit groups. He is co-chairman of the Sanibel-Captiva Renewable Energy Working Group and co-founder with his wife, Ariel Hoover, of the Lee County Chapter of the Climate Reality Project. Bob and his wife power their home with solar energy, using the LCEC net metering program. Contact information: leeclimatereality@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida should be a leader in addressing climate change through renewable energy