Many cities and towns are adopting solar energy, helped along by a combination of local governments implementing solar-friendly law and policies, some municipal utilities offering financial incentives, and other factors.
Among these solar-adopting smaller cities are listed two cities in Northwest Florida. Tallahassee, FL and Jacksonville, FL are “Solar Stars,” according to the “Shining Cities 2018: How Smart Local Policies Are Expanding Solar Power in America” report released by Frontier Group and the Environment America Research & Policy Center.
The report identifies the cities with the most solar photovoltaics (PV) installed per capita as the “Solar Stars.” These are cities with 50 or more watts of solar PV capacity installed per person. “Solar Stars” are locations that have grown dramatically in solar energy.
Tallahassee, Florida, is ranked as a leading “Solar Star,” due to having 157 watts per person of solar PV capacity installed. Residents and businesses were allowed to enroll to purchase their electricity from the new 28 MW solar farm at a fixed rate for the next 20 years. The Tallahassee Solar program was so popular that the city plans to continue it for a second solar farm. The City of Tallahassee also offers low interest loans for clean energy systems.
Also, the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) has committed to installing a large amount of solar PV capacity and changed solar energy policies last year to deter grid-tied distributed solar energy.
See the full report here.
For further reading;
City of Tallahassee solar loan program
JEA shakes up solar policies – Jacksonville Business Journal
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