Bad Behavior: The Two Faces Of FPL ... South Miami Aims To Lead Florida In Solar Adoption For New Residential Construction ... by gimleteye

Thanks to South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard, the city commission will consider a new ordinance promoting solar power on new residential construction. FPL, naturally, wants to dictate to consumers and to prevent consumers from adopting their own choice. One commenter observed, "
I am perpetually and simultaneously amazed and yet not surprised at what lengths FP&Lies (can we borrow that one from Delaney as it is very apt?) will go to to stop people from generating their own power. ... we will continue to work to expose the lies and bad behavior ... A bit of good news is that Gov. Scott signed SB 90 into law ... another step forward having our tax policy in a much better place. That along with the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and the declining cost of solar (even better with the co-op pricing), we will all be able to move solar along. I love the solar ordinance and requiring solar in new buildings. Makes perfect sense unless of course you make profits (11 1/2% return to be precise) keeping captive customers addicted to natural gas."

FPL is a monopoly and it acts like a monopoly: attacking at every and at any point where its control of the marketplace is threatened by consumers.

Instead of constantly investing in opposition, FPL should be that friendly supplier of electricity its advertisements and marketing campaigns portray.

Did you get a robocall urging you to oppose a solar ordinance in South Miami? Many people did.  Let me explain what’s going on. South Miami is on the verge of making history, becoming the first municipality in the Sunshine State to require at least some solar energy production on new residential construction (not on existing houses).  The idea was first rolled out in four California municipalities, beginning in 2013.  The results in California have been positive: “The most transferable lesson may simply be the readiness with which Lancaster residents adapted to solar requirements, said industry officials, especially because the city is largely Republican.” [Marketplace].  Encouraged by the municipal experience, the State of California, an independent signatory to the Paris Climate Agreement, is considering making solar a statewide requirement for new construction [Greentech Media]. When South Miami first went public with a draft of our ordinance, modeled after those in California, the City received a phone call from FPL, warning us to check the Florida Statutes (which of course we already had).  No surprise FPL was anxious.  In the last election cycle, electric monopolies led by FPL and Duke energy spent $29 million to fight the development of solar energy in Florida [Tampa Bay Times]. Our ordinance took a year to develop and was approved on first reading by the City Commission.  It went on to the City’s Planning Board for further review, where, after an evening of intense exploration and discussion, the five community members who comprise the board unanimously approved the ordinance.  It will come before the Commission for second reading on Tuesday.. Hello FPL - it's hard to fool South Miami In advance of the Commission meeting, South Miami residents were bombarded with robo-calls from a lobbying firm in D.C., misleading residents with claims that the City was proposing to require solar power on existing residential construction.  One resident wrote me: “Hey, Phil!  Got a robocall from this outfit today badmouthing the City’s proposed solar ordinance.  States that it ‘will require solar on all new houses and existing houses in the city.’  FPL highjinx?” Despite all their slick ads about promoting solar energy, FPL is planning to increase our dependency on fossil fuels over the next 30 years, while providing only 1% of our power from solar by 2025 (up from their current 0.1%)  [Energy and Policy Institute].  FPL received state approval to charge their rate-payers for new gas “peaker” generators despite their parent company, NextEra Energy, stating that solar power with battery backup is now cheaper than natural gas-powered peak load generation.  FPL’s plan for Florida will charge us more money to increase our CO2 emissions!  Their plan should be outlawed, but don’t hold your breath.  Florida’s governor, cabinet, and most of the legislators receive big campaign contributions from FPL.  If we in South Miami don’t do something ourselves, nobody will. Sure, but why make solar mandatory?  South Miami made it mandatory to install large numbers of native trees and shrubs on new construction.  Good for the climate, good for the City.  Nobody complained – not even FPL which has to trim trees away from the power lines.  We require expensive protection or relocation of big trees during construction – a larger expense than solar panels.  No complaints.  The fact is, rooftop solar is a benefit to residents, not a hardship: residential solar is now cheaper than utility power.  Solar is even cheaper yet if its installed during construction, rather than as retrofit.  Financing solar on new construction is much cheaper than as a home improvement. Residents with rooftop solar save a lot of money, while helping slow climate change and sea level rise.  We do it not only for our pocketbooks, but to help the climate and make a better future for our children and our grandchildren. We are also developing a new program with non-profit partners to provide free solar and other energy efficiency upgrades for veterans, disabled persons, and low income residents.  These new programs will benefit our residents and won’t cost South Miami taxpayers a dime.  Interested in solar for your home?  Best prices are currently available through the co-op If you are interested in getting solar at these prices, the South-Central Miami-Dade solar co-op will remain open until 25 August.  Solar buying co-ops obtain group prices below the regular retail rate. Regards, Philip