Florida PSC reports rising use of renewable energy in state
The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) has found that more consumers are generating and using renewable energy in recent years, according to electric utility reports filed with the commission.
Specifically, customer-sited renewable generation installations increased approximately 44 percent in 2021, rising to 130,947 interconnections last year. Also, electric generation capacity from customer-sited renewable energy systems reached 1,176,936 kilowatts (kW) throughout the state last year, a 43 percent increase over 2020. According to the commission, solar photovoltaic panels continue to be the most popular renewable choice.
The PSC’s interconnection and net metering rule promote the development of customer-sited renewable generation. It does this by establishing a billing mechanism that allows customers to offset their usage through the self-generation of energy. Further, any excess energy delivered to the grid is applied as a kilowatt-hour credit to the customer’s monthly energy usage.
Since this rule was implemented in 2008, the number of renewable systems has increased from 577 to 130,947 interconnections.
Florida’s investor-owned utilities – including Florida Power & Light Company, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric Company, and Florida Public Utilities — are required by the rule to offer an expedited interconnection agreement so that consumers can generate their own energy quickly and safely.
In addition, municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives that sell electricity at retail are also required to provide a standardized interconnection agreement and net metering program for customer-sited renewable generation systems.
