A petition to enable peer-to-peer sale of solar power in Florida has gained over 72,000 signatures, verified by Florida’s Divison of Elections. The petition is led by Floridians for Solar Choice and is gaining wide support through a diverse coalition of more than two dozen businesses, conservative groups, faith communities, clean energy and environmental organizations.
The petition calls on the state “to encourage and promote local small-scale solar-generated electricity production and to enhance the availability of solar power to customers”. It asks for this to be achieved by limiting and preventing regulatory and economic barriers, including rate, service and territory regulations on those supplying local solar electricity, as well special rates, fees, charges, tariffs, or terms and conditions imposed by utilities on consumers.
The wording must gain Supreme Court approval, and then the campaign will need to collect and have verified an additional 600,000 signatures by 1 February 2016, to place the proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2016 ballot.
Florida is one of only five states in the US that prohibit citizens from buying electricity from companies that will put solar panels on your home or business, according to Floridians for Solar Choice.
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