The Sunshine State Projected to Take Over as Top-Ranked Residential Solar State in 2028 – CleanTechnica

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Florida, the Sunshine State, has wide-open skies and plenty of light — everywhere. Unsurprisingly, Florida businesses and people continue to vote with their dollars in support of solar power. Florida has installed the second most solar power capacity in the country in 2024, only trailing Texas.

According to new research, about 30,000 Floridians installed solar power this year, raising the total to more than 253,000 in the state. The Sunshine State as a whole installed 3.1 gigawatts (GW) of solar-generation capacity in the first three quarters of this year, virtually matching last year’s record-breaking 3.2 GW. This information is based on the latest report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, U.S. Solar Market Insight Q4 2024. All of this growth is boosted by the fact that solar panel prices have dropped significantly — over 37% — in the last decade.

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), emphasized two years ago to Florida Phoenix that the cost of solar power in Florida has decreased by 43% over the last ten years. Smith also commended NextEra Energy’s Florida Power & Light, the biggest regulated utility in the state with over 12 million customers. FPL’s solar energy expansion is part of its “Real Zero” goal of eliminating carbon emissions from its power plant fleet — a plan that Smith calls one of “the most ambitious solar goals in the country.”

According to Florida Phoenix, NextEra’s decarbonization plan “completely changes the paradigm” of climate protection measures. Fast forward to today’s news and that helps to explain Florida’s progress. “The Real Zero decarbonization plan, unveiled in June, pledges to cut NextEra’s own carbon emissions in the regions it serves by 70 percent by 2025, compared with its 2005 baseline; 82 percent by 2030; 87 percent by 2035; 94 percent by 2040; and 100 percent by 2045. NextEra says it would do so, in large part, by substantially expanding solar-power generation to 90,000 megawatts, adding 50,000 megawatts of battery storage, maintaining its nuclear power generation, and converting 16,000 megawatts of natural gas units to run on green hydrogen.”

This week’s Florida Phoenix conveys the logic of Environmental Defense Fund Florida Director Dawn Shirreffs. “The cost of producing electricity from new solar is around $60/MWh compared to $70MWh for new natural gas. As a result, we see NextEra/FPL is now very focused on solar and storage to diversify their portfolio and lower costs in Florida, but other utilities continue to propose new natural gas plants.” It does not make sense, and would not continue except for politricks. The Florida Phoenix continues that the state relies on natural gas for 75% of its energy needs (a larger proportion than in any other state).

It’s good to know that the new generation of 25,000 customers who made solar installation investments last year will now experience stable power bills. Saving money and being environmentally friendly is just common economic sense, much like with EVs.

The Florida Phoenix continues, “Florida receives 8% of its existing electricity portfolio from solar, according to the SEIA. That figure is expected to increase over the next decade, with the total proportion of renewable energy in Florida expected to reach 28% by 2032, primarily from the addition of new solar generation, according to a report published earlier this year by the Florida Public Service Commission.”

With 34,925 megawatts (MW) of production capacity and approximately 5.9 million customer accounts, or over 12 million people, spread across nearly half of the state, FPL is the biggest vertically integrated regulated utility in Florida.

The Florida Phoenix remains optimistic and relates that Susan Glickman, vice president for policy and partnerships with The CLEO Institute, a climate nonprofit, affirms: “The growth of solar in Florida and across the nation is no surprise. Fossil fuel prices are climbing while the cost of solar has declined 43% in the last 10 years. Plus, using solar power reduces the climate pollution warming causing expensive unnatural disasters and extreme weather.”