Other supporters of FPL SolarTogether include Sustainable Florida, Broward College, Florida Atlantic University, 7-Eleven, the counties of Brevard, Broward and Miami-Dade and major cities such as Sarasota, Coral Springs and West Palm Beach. In addition, more than 90,000 residential and small business customers have already signed up to receive more information.
“Based on the substantial interest and support that we’ve received on this innovative, voluntary and affordable program from such a diverse array of customers, community partners, businesses, local governments and national clean energy advocacy groups, we’re confident that the time is right for this program,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL.
FPL SolarTogether would not only be the largest community solar program in the US., but also the largest voluntary low-income solar offering in the country. The planned installation of 1,490 MW of new universal solar capacity at 20 new solar power plants across FPL’s service territory would generate an estimated $249 million in net savings for all FPL customers over the long term, primarily from avoided fuel and other system savings.
“We were pleased to work with Florida Power & Light and other parties to get the strongest possible outcomes for all customers, including low-income customers, to be able to participate in this innovative SolarTogether program,” said Dr. Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
The FPL SolarTogether program would significantly expand access to solar energy in Florida while providing a direct benefit to FPL customers – including low-income households and other customers that may not have the financial means or ability to invest in their own system, allowing them to benefit from the economic and environmental attributes of solar energy.
FPL SolarTogether is designed to remove many of the financial burdens associated with private solar generating systems while also providing direct savings in the form of bill credits, making it an affordable option for any customer. Participants could also utilize the program to meet state and federal sustainability goals. FPL hopes to receive regulatory approval in time to launch during the first quarter of 2020.
FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage.
