06/24/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/24/2025 09:15
TALLAHASSEE - As in past years, more consumers are generating and using renewable energy, according to electric utility reports filed with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC). Customer-sited renewable generation installations increased approximately 17 percent this past year, from 249,521 interconnections in 2023 to 292,284 in 2024. Statewide, electric generating capacity from customer-sited renewable energy systems reached 2,801,263 kilowatts (kW), an approximate 19 percent increase over 2023. Solar photovoltaic panels continue to be the most popular renewable choice. The PSC's interconnection and net metering rule promotes development of customer-sited renewable generation by establishing a billing mechanism that allows customers to offset their usage through the self-generation of energy. Any excess energy delivered to the grid is applied as a kilowatt-hour credit to the customer's monthly energy usage. Since the rule's adoption 17 years ago in 2008, the number of renewable systems has increased almost 500 percent, from 577 to 292,284 interconnections. Florida's investor-owned utilities--Florida Power & Light Company; Duke Energy Florida, LLC; Tampa Electric Company; and Florida Public Utilities Company--are required by the rule to offer an expedited interconnection agreement so that homeowners and businesses interested in generating and consuming their own energy can do so quickly and safely. Municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives that sell electricity at retail are also required, by statute, to provide a standardized interconnection agreement and net metering program for customer-sited renewable generation systems. Individual utility reports on customer-sited renewable systems and summary data are available on the PSC's website here. Florida's utilities reported the following information on customer-sited renewable generation for 2020-2024. Residents interested in learning more about interconnecting renewable generation systems or net metering should contact their local utility. |