Dick Batchelor and Jim Kallinger: Floridians deserve smarter solar

Most Floridians agree: Solar power is an essential part of our energy future. In fact, Florida voters might even find two solar amendments on their 2016 ballot.

Be warned: There are important differences between the two ideas.

One amendment, written by a group called Floridians for Solar Choice, may sound appealing at first glance. However, the fine print proves this measure is designed to benefit big, out-of-state solar companies. That’s why we call it the “Shady Solar Amendment.”

Here’s how it works: Right now, Floridians can put solar panels on their homes or businesses, use the electricity those panels generate and sell the excess energy back to the grid.

But the Shady Solar Amendment would entice a new business model in which big, out-of-state solar companies sign Florida’s consumers to long-term contracts before placing solar panels on their rooftops. Under the Shady Solar Amendment, Floridians wouldn’t own the panels — they wouldn’t even own the electricity generated by those panels. Instead, they would buy the energy from the company that installed the panels.

However, much bigger problems can be found in the fine print.

The Shady Solar Amendment allows third parties, such as out-of-state solar companies, to act as de facto public utilities. However, it wouldn’t regulate those companies as public utilities. In fact, it expressly prohibits state and local authorities, your elected officials, from enacting common-sense consumer protection rules. It’s easy to see why out-of-state solar companies would want such special treatment. However, granting an entire industry constitutional immunity to sensible regulation is unprecedented and virtually impossible to reverse.

Consumers who choose solar should enjoy the same consumer protections guaranteed to consumers who choose traditional energy. Unfortunately, the Shady Solar Amendment even shortchanges consumers who don’t choose solar.

For example, everyone is familiar with the electric grid. It’s the infrastructure that pumps electricity into our homes and businesses. Even solar consumers are hooked up to the grid so that they can sell excess energy when the sun is shining and obtain backup power when it’s not. Here’s where it gets expensive for non-solar consumers: Big, out-of-state solar companies that sign customers to long-term contracts will make a lot of money pumping excess electricity from people’s rooftops onto the electric grid, but they won’t actually pay to maintain or upgrade that grid.

Guess who does pay? You.

If you don’t like the idea of signing a long-term contract with an unregulated, out-of-state solar company and instead opt to stick with traditional energy, hold onto your wallet. Under the Shady Solar Amendment you will pay more money to maintain the electric grid every time these big solar companies sign a new customer to a long-term contract. Every new customer means one fewer household paying its fair share to maintain the grid we all use. Under the Shady Solar Amendment, the more solar customers, the higher the bills for everyone else and big, out-of-state solar companies get a free ride.

Floridians deserve greater access to solar energy and they should not have to sacrifice consumer protections to get it. That’s why members of our coalition called on Floridians for Solar Choice to revise their amendment several months ago. These groups asked simply that all energy consumers be treated fairly.

They refused, and that’s where the “Smart Solar Amendment” comes in.

We joined with a bipartisan group of business and civic leaders to create an alternative amendment that promotes solar choice while also protecting consumers from having to pick up the tab for big, out-of-state solar companies.  Put simply, the Smart Solar Amendment says that everyone who uses the electric grid must help pay to maintain it.

The Smart Solar Amendment also protects solar consumers from getting ripped off by allowing authorities to regulate those companies, just like other energy providers.

Bottom line: The Shady Solar Amendment is designed to help big, out-of-state solar companies. The Smart Solar Amendment is designed to help consumers,  those who choose solar and those who do not.

That is real solar choice.

Dick Batchelor and Jim Kallinger are former state representatives and co-chairmen of Consumers for Smart Solar. Column courtesy of Context Florida.