Florida Solar Access Sign-on Letter

Join our sign-on letter to support increased access to solar through legalization of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Florida. We launched the letter publicly on March 11 and welcome additional signers. Form to sign is below the letter:

See current signatories

Dear Legislators,

We are leaders of Florida schools, local governments, non-profit organizations, and commercial enterprises. We are writing to ask you to allow organizations like ours to enter third-party power purchase agreements (PPAs) for solar energy. This will allow us to power our communities with a cost-effective and clean energy source. It will also provide a much-needed economic stimulus to our economy, which is facing unparalleled challenges.

With a PPA, a developer installs, owns, and operates a solar system on the customer’s property. Organizations like ours can then buy the electricity the system produces at a fixed rate. This rate is generally lower than what we would pay to their utility providing monthly electricity savings. PPAs would enable us to benefit from solar with low to no upfront cost.

Florida’s economy has lost billions, if not trillions, from the Covid-19 pandemic. These losses follow us into 2021. Florida leaders are warning of massive state budget cuts due to reduced government revenue. There are reports of a $5.4 billion budget deficit over the next two years. Legalizing PPAs provides a significant, no-cost economic stimulus to Florida’s economy.

A new report, Impact Analysis of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Florida, released in October 2020 finds legalizing PPAs will benefit Florida in several ways:

  • Creation of 9,098 direct jobs
  • Creation of 25,800 total jobs (including direct, indirect, and induced)
  • Provide $3,800,000,000 in total economic impacts
  • Produce the energy equivalent of powering 159,126 homes with solar
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 147,590 cars off the road

Researchers from the University of Central Florida and Ohio University created the report.

PPAs are legal in most states including Georgia, Texas, Arkansas, and Arizona. They are not yet legal in Florida. Legalizing PPAs for solar energy would only require you to pass simple, no-cost legislation. We urge you to support the bills SB 1718/HB 1611. They would make PPAs legal.

Sincerely,

** We are no longer accepting sign-ons for this letter.

Organizational signatories :

350 Pensacola

350 South Florida

British American Energy 

Broward Climate Alliance

Buddhist Climate Action Network

Catalyst Miami

Climate Reality Project Boca Raton Chapter

Climate Reality Project Lee County Chapter

Climate Reality Project Manasota Chapter

Contempo Communications Foundation for the Arts, Inc. 

Coral Springs City Commission

Dream in Green

Environment Florida

Faith Lutheran Church

First City Art Center

First Unitarian Church of Orlando

FL Creation Care Task Team

Generation180

Green Ellipsis

Green Florida Home

HawkesNest Alpacas

Healthy Gulf

IDEAS For Us

Islamic Society of Central Florida

JBS Foundation, Inc. 

John Wing, PE, LLC

Korean American Student Association at FSU

League of Women Voters of Florida

Leithauser Research

Lutherans Restoring Creation

MAKE Plant City

MAST Academy PTSA 

MAST Academy Green Champions

Miami-Dade County Council PTA/PTSA

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Moms Clean Air Force

Montessori at Roseborough

NAACP Miami-Dade Branch 

Nature Coast Conservation, Inc.

Neil’s Park

Ohio University 

Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society

Osceola County School District 

Overlook Reserve HOA 

Parents For Future Miami

Pierce Systems

Pivot Energy

Pro Earth Program

Ready for 100

Reith Energy

ReThink Energy Florida

Sarasota County School District 

Sarasota County Schools PTA 

Sarasota Ready for 100

Solar Source

Solar United Neighbors

Southeast Florida Clean Cities Coalition

Southeast Florida Sea Level Rise Solutions Project

St. Richard’s Episcopal Church

Semillitas Del Sol

Sunrise New College of Florida

Sunrise Plant High School

Sunsport Gardens

SW District United Methodist Women UMC

Tropical Audubon Society

Union of Reform Jews

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton

United Methodist Women, Florida Conference

University of Florida PK Yonge School

U.S. Green Building Council Florida

Vote Solar

West Bay Energy