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Florida

Governor Crist Wins "Golden Meter" Award

Vote Solar joined forces with Network for New Energy Choices, Solar Alliance, FlaSEIA and other advocacy partners to honor Florida's Governor Crist for advancing strong net metering policies. Net metering is an important step on the road to achieving aggressive renewable energy targets in the Sunshine State. Next up . . .

 

Let's Bring Solar Jobs to the Sunshine State!

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Solar power is Florida’s cleanest, most plentiful form of energy. With solar costs plummeting and federal dollars locked in, ready to compliment any state investment, now is the time to advance solar polices that will result in real economic development for the state. With a well-designed, stable funding mechanism and other policy drivers in place, Floridians can start enjoying solar energy’s many immediate and long-term economic, social and environmental benefits.

As a distributed resource, solar PV generates more jobs per Megawatt (MW) than any other energy technology.

  • An active solar PV market supports 15-30 direct jobs per MW1.
  • Data from Germany - the world’s largest PV market- documents a ratio of 30.4 jobs per MW2.

 

Jobs Creation Potential Under a Renewable Portfolio Standard
The table below illustrates the job creation potential based on Navigant Consulting’s RPS report, which finds that 1500 MW to 3800 MW of solar PV could be added by 2020.

If 1500 Megawatts were installed, it would create:

  • 22,500 - 45,000 direct jobs
  • 100,350 – 200,700 indirect and induced jobs3

Assuming one job per person over 10 yrs, this is equivalent to a minimum of 2,250 – 4,500 direct jobs and 10,350 – 20,070 indirect/indirect jobs

If 3800 Megawatts were installed, it would create:

  • 57,000 – 114,000 direct jobs
  • 254,200 – 508,400 indirect and induced job-years3


Assuming one job per person over 10 yrs, this is equivalent to a minimum of 5,700 – 11,400 direct jobs and 25,420– 50,840 indirect/indirect jobs

Note that the number of jobs created would depend on the amount of PV manufacturing that occurs in the state as well as the mix of deployment between larger utility-scale projects and smaller distributed projects.

On indirect/induced jobs: A recent study by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reported economic multipliers associated with solar development and found a ratio of 1.4 for indirect to direct jobs and a ratio of 2.1 for induced to direct jobs.  Indirect impact jobs results from increased demand for workers by other industries because of demand from the green-collar jobs.  Induced impact jobs result from general increase in overall demand because there are more workers and businesses making more money and boosting the overall economy.

Policy Issues:

Renewable Standards and Incentives
In May 2008, the Florida Legislature passed HB 7135, which directs the PSC to create rules for a Renewable Portfolio Standard that provides added weight to photovoltaics, as well as programs for demand-side renewable energy programs. Governor Crist signed the bill in June.

On January 9, 2009, draft rules for the Renewable Portfolio Standard were approved and now move to the Legislature for ratification. There are good elements, and elements that need to be improved. Here are the highlights:

Good elements of the draft rule:

  • 20 percent by 2020 goal
  • Solar and wind will provide 1/4 of the 20% goal
  • Solar and wind projects may get up to $300 Million each year to meet the goals
  • The goals are mandatory, not aspirational
  • The rule will remain a Renewable Portfolio Standard and not be expanded to include clean coal and nuclear...for now (see caveat below)

What could be better:

  • The cost of the RPS is capped at 2 percent of utility revenues, which we feel is too low (we have asked for 4%)
  • The commission has left room for the Legislature to consider changing the rule to a Clean Energy Portfolio Standard, which could then allow nuclear to participate
  • The recommendation lacks clear provisions for long-term contracts
  • Additional provisions will be needed to ensure that small solar electric and solar hot water customers can participate in the market

Vote Solar is part of a coalition with Florida Solar Energy Industries Association and Solar Alliance to ensure that solar plays a starring role in the RPS. We have a LONG way to go but our Coalition has a fantastic team in place and we are pushing aggressively. Stay tuned…

  • 1 Kammen, Daniel, University of California – Berkeley, “Testimony before the US Senate Hearing on Environment and Public Works,” Sept. 25 2007; and Navigant Consulting, Inc., “Economic Impacts of Extending Federal Solar Tax Credits,” Final Report, September 15, 2008. http://seia.org/galleries/pdf/Navigant%20Consulting%20Report%209.15.08.pdf
  • 2 Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, “Development of renewable energy sources in Germany in 2007,” March 2008. http://www.bmu.de/english/renewable_energy/doc/39831.php
  • 3 S. Grover,“Energy, Economic, and Environmental Benefits of the Solar America Initiative”, August 2007, NREL/SR-640-41998. Economic multipliers calculated using IMPLAN regional economic modeling software.

 

Vote Solar lead for Florida is Gwen Rose.

last modified 1/20/09