Florida

Florida, the Sunshine State, has tremendous solar potential. But, so far, the state hasn't been quite living up to that potential but has made big strides lately. While Florida has the third best physical and geographic conditions in the country for solar, its policies hold it down at 18th for installed solar capacity.

Florida does not have a renewable energy portfolio standard, which drives utility investment in other states. Solar leasing has just started in the state but power purchase agreements still aren't available. PPA's have made solar boom among homeowners who can’t afford to buy solar systems outright in other states. That means the policies in Florida against third-party ownership of solar panels aren’t contributing to industry growth in Florida.

However, Florida does offer some solar power financial incentives. Florida Power and Light offers a solar rebate and all of the utilities governed by the state utilities commission offer net metering. Under the law they must credit customers for net excess generation in a month. If, over a 12-month period, they generate more power than they use, the utility must pay them.

State