Florida is a paradox. This state, largely made up of limestone and sand, juts out into an ocean that is rising every year.
Yet, state policy forbids anyone in an official position from even mentioning the words “climate change.” If that’s not concerning enough, limestone dissolves in saltwater, making Florida’s long-term future rather uncertain. Historical data shows that Florida was once submerged, and it’s likely to be again—not tomorrow, but in the near future, if measured in geological terms.
Last May, Florida passed a law that removed any reference to climate change from most state policies. Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, called it a move to “restore sanity in our energy approach and reject the agenda of radical green zealots.” Apparently, green zealotry simply means acknowledging the reality of the situation and taking sensible steps to protect the state’s residents. But for the governor, this seems to be a “woke mind virus,” and so Florida will continue to be overwhelmed by the sea, both above and below, as long as the state’s leadership stays in power.
Surprisingly, despite this policy disconnect, Florida has emerged as a leader in solar energy. In 2024, the state surpassed California in new utility-scale solar capacity. According to Canary Media, Florida added 3 gigawatts of large-scale solar power, second only to Texas. In residential solar, Florida has ranked second behind California for the most rooftop solar installations every year from 2019 to 2024, according to data from the energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
“We expect Florida to continue as No. 2 in 2025,” said Zoë Gaston, principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie for the U.S. distributed solar industry.
Sylvia Martinez, Wood Mackenzie’s principal utility-scale solar analyst for North America, added “Florida is likely to hold second place in utility-scale solar installations this year, edging out California but still behind Texas.”
Florida As A Solar Power Leader
About 8% of Florida’s electricity currently comes from solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). While much of the state’s power still comes from burning methane and a bit of nuclear energy, solar is growing rapidly. The state’s abundant sunshine, combined with state and federal policies that have lowered costs and made solar installations easier, has propelled this growth.
“Obviously, sunshine is abundant in Florida,” said Zachary Colletti, executive director of the Florida chapter of Conservatives for Clean Energy. “We have plenty of it.”
For Floridians, solar power not only saves money, but it also offers increased resilience in the face of extreme weather.
“Having reliable energy is a big motivator, especially with increasing extreme weather events,” said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director of The CLEO Institute, a Miami-based nonprofit advocating for climate action.
Federal tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act have made solar panels even more affordable.
“As soon as I saw the federal government offering a 30% tax credit, I decided to invest in solar It was a win-win situation, and I could pay it off in seven years,” said Yoca Arditi-Rocha.
Solar energy in Florida began growing well before the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, thanks to favorable state policies. The Florida Public Service Commission holds significant power over where power plants are located, with municipalities and counties having limited say. Additionally, solar plants with a capacity under 75 megawatts are exempt from review and permitting under the Florida Power Plant Siting Act. This has made it easy for major utilities to build solar farms quickly and inexpensively. Companies like NextEra Energy, which owns Florida Power & Light, have built significant solar capacity by bundling multiple smaller installations.
“It’s just easier to permit in Florida, and developers have realized they can avoid the lengthy process by keeping projects small,” said Leyva Martinez, a clean energy analyst.
This rapid buildout of small solar projects has drawn some criticism in rural parts of the state. A bill filed last month by Republican state senator Keith Truenow seeks to give local governments more control over siting and permitting solar farms on agricultural land.
“There’s growing concern in rural areas about the increasing number of solar installations,” Colletti said.
The bill would add some extra hurdles and costs but wouldn’t necessarily reverse Florida’s preemption of local permitting powers. Even if this bill passes, it’s uncertain whether Governor DeSantis will sign it into law. The governor previously vetoed legislation in 2022 that would have undermined the state’s net metering program, which compensates homeowners with solar panels for sending surplus energy back to the grid.
“The governor did the right thing by vetoing that bill,” Colletti said. “It helped protect net metering and the rooftop solar industry.” However, there’s no guarantee that he’ll continue supporting solar energy policies in the future.
A February 2022 survey by Mason-Dixon found that 84% of registered Florida voters support net metering, including 76% of Republicans.
“It’s not about left or right,” said Arditi-Rocha. “It’s about making sure Florida’s future is bright. In the Sunshine State, harnessing solar energy could be the key to a sustainable, prosperous future.”
The Importance Of Policies
The advantages of solar energy should be clear to everyone, but the reality is more complicated. If fossil fuel industries benefit financially from extracting methane and burning it, they will fight to maintain the status quo. Politicians like Joe Manchin, energy secretary Chris Wright, and fossil fuel interests in Texas have fought to preserve fossil fuel use, even when renewables are more cost-effective.
Last year, California introduced new rules that significantly impacted the rooftop solar market by limiting net metering unless homeowners also installed storage batteries that could be partially controlled by utilities. Meanwhile, influential figures like Elon Musk and other political forces continue to challenge policies that promote clean energy, framing them as part of a “woke mind virus.” The result is that transitioning to solar energy, despite its obvious benefits, has become a political battleground, often under attack from those who prioritize profits over environmental sustainability.
Source: Clean Technica