State Approves Gulf Power Community Solar Program

Due to recent approval of Gulf Power's latest solar program, the communities of Northwest Florida may soon be paying less for energy than most other Florida residents. The Florida Public Service Commission has officially given the green light on a three-part project that aims to provide solar energy as a cost-effective alternative to traditional electricity without the need for solar panel installation.

Gulf Power says that their hope is to offer solar in a new way, one that allows residents and businesses to reap the benefits without needing to purchase and install panels. However, it’s hard to say the effects of such a trend on the solar industry as a whole.

The programs will work in three parts:

1. Homeowners and businesses subscribe to the solar community program for $99 per year.
2. Solar energy equipment is installed in high-yield areas, pumping clean energy onto the grid.
3. Credit is added to the customer’s monthly bill for the energy produced by their share of the solar facility.

While Gulf Power’s solar community is just one way solar is being integrated into communities across Florida, it leaves room for some manipulation on the utility’s end. One of the key benefits of joining the solar revolution with your own rooftop panels is that you are in control of your energy AND your bill. $99 per year may not seem like a lot to pay for subscription to a clean energy program. However, over the course of a decade, those rates are not only likely to increase, but you’re still left paying for a portion of traditional electric. Though a bill credit will certainly help those who can’t afford an investment, it’s limiting the true benefits of solar as an independently-tapped resource. Rooftop solar installations put homeowners and businesses in charge of their bill, and that’s worth the investment.