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Political Barriers to Distributed Generation Solar in the Sunshine State

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Political Barriers to Distributed Generation Solar in the Sunshine State POLITICAL BARRIERS TO DISTRIBUTED GENERATION SOLAR IN THE SUNSHINE STATE by Debra Taylor A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Wilkes Honors College in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University Jupiter, FL August 2017 POLITICAL BARRIERS TO DISTRIBUTED GENERATION SOLAR IN THE SUNSHINE STATE by Debra Taylor This thesis was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s thesis advisor, Dr. William O’Brien, and has been approved by the members of her supervisory committee. It was submitted to the faculty of The Honors College and was accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences. SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: ____________________________ Dr. William O’Brien ____________________________ Dr. Kanybek Nur-tegin ____________________________ Dean Dr. Ellen Goldey, Wilkes Honors College __________ Date ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I’d to thank my academic/thesis/life advisor, Dr. William O’Brien. Without his assistance, encouragement and dedicated involvement in every step of this process, this paper would never have been accomplished. I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your patience, support and understanding over these past two years. I would also like to sincerely thank Dr. Wairimũ Njambi, who challenged me to keep pushing through every obstacle, assuring me that the struggle is both the process and the reward. Your mentorship and inspirational teaching style made my experience at the Honors College truly unforgettable. I am forever grateful for your kindness and encouragement. A special thank you to Dr. Kanybek Nur-tegin for serving on my supervisory committee and providing valuable inputs and words of encouragement. I greatly appreciate your support and well wishes. Getting through my undergraduate thesis required more than academic support, and I have many people to thank for listening to and, at times, having to tolerate me over the past two years. Thomas Venables, Emma Yasinski, Veena Krishnappa, Siddaraju Boregowda and Jenn Olson have been unwavering in their personal and professional support during my time at the Honors College. I cannot begin to express my gratitude and appreciation for your friendship. I would like to thank my partner, Keith Lizotte, for providing me with unlimited inspiration and encouragement throughout this entire process. Your high-fives, hugs and delicious grilled cheese sandwiches were absolutely invaluable to me. Thank you for always making me laugh when I wanted to cry. Most importantly, none of this could have happened without the support from my family. I would like to thank my mom and dad for always believing in me and for feeding me when I was broke. I love you both more than words can express. I’d also like to thank Jeff, Tracey, Alexis, Aiden and Ashton for their encouragement and for understanding when I had to put homework and thesis before family fun. I love you all. And finally, I have to thank my dog, Jake, who passed away just weeks before I finished. You were the best friend a girl could ask for and your unconditional love and warmth helped carry me through the most difficult of times. Rest in peace, dear friend. iii ABSTRACT Author: Debra Taylor Title: Political Barriers to Distributed Generation Solar in the Sunshine State Institution: Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic University Advisor: Dr. William O’Brien Degree: Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences Concentrations: Environmental Science Year: 2017 Scientists agree that human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy, is a major contributor to climate change. Recent global efforts to curb climate change involve the investment in carbon-cutting renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Despite being known as “the Sunshine State,” only 0.26% of Florida’s energy production came from solar sources in 2016. Florida ranks third in the U.S. for rooftop solar potential but only twelfth in the cumulative amount of solar capacity installed. Distributed generation (DG) solar refers to electricity generated near the point- of-use via photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, which includes rooftop solar. Distributed solar remains a controversial topic in Florida. This study attempts to identify the political barriers to distributed generation solar in Florida and examines the connection between political ideology and the success rate of renewable energy legislation in Florida. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction……………………………………………………….………...……..1 Solar Defined………………………………………………………………….......2 DG Solar Controversy……………………………………………………………..3 Solar Production Trends…………………………………………………………...6 Solar Costs and Job Creation………………………………………………………8 Political Barriers to Distributed Generation Solar………………………………..11 2. Florida Solar Energy Landscape…………………………………………………13 Net Metering and Grid Interconnection………………………………………….14 Renewable Portfolio Standards…………………………………………………..16 Third-Party Financing: PPAs and Solar Leases……………...………………….17 3. Political Ideology and Renewable Energy Policy………………………………..20 The Florida Legislature…………………………………………….…………….21 4. Florida Solar Legislation Study……………...……………………..……………23 My Expectations…………………………………………………………………24 The Data……………………………………………………………………….…25 Understanding the Trends……………………………………………….……….28 5. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….33 6. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………35 7. Bibliography……………………………………………………………………..38 v LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Figure 1: U.S. Primary Energy Production, by Source (2016)……….……………...7 Figure 2: State Renewable Portfolio Standard Policies…………………………….17 Table 1: Summary of Florida Solar Legislation (2006-2016)…………………..…25 Figure 3: Florida Solar Energy Legislation Submitted, by Type (2006-2016)…….26 Figure 4: Status of Submitted Solar Legislation, By Year (2006-2016)…………...27 Figure 5: Florida Solar Legislation Submitted, by Party and Type (2006-2016)…..27 Figure 6: Florida Solar Legislation Signed into Law, by Type (2006-2016)………28 vi 1. Introduction According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international organization charged with assessing the science related to climate change, “anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since the pre-industrial era have driven large increases in the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O),” which scientists agree are primary contributors to global warming (IPCC, 2014). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes the causes, trends, and impacts of global warming. The average temperature of the planet has risen an estimated 1.5°F in the last century and is projected to rise another 0.5 to 8.6°F in the coming century, a pattern that could lead to profound and potentially catastrophic changes in climate and weather. Already, changes in precipitation have resulted in increases in floods, droughts, and heat waves, and a combination of ocean warming and glacier melt has led to rising sea levels. While deforestation, industrial activities, and certain agricultural processes contribute to rising atmospheric GHG levels, the majority of emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy (EPA 2017). Transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as hydropower, biomass, geothermal, wind, ocean, and solar energy, reduces GHG emissions by displacing electricity derived from carbon-emitting fossil fuels. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), solar energy, derived from the sun, is “the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available” (SEIA 2017). This study examines the status of solar energy in Florida, which currently ranks third in the U.S. for rooftop solar potential but only twelfth in cumulative solar capacity installed (SEIA 2017). More 1 specifically, this research attempts to identify the political barriers to distributed generation solar in Florida and to examine the connection between political ideology and the success rate of renewable energy legislation in the state. In pursuit of this goal, a list of solar-related legislation introduced in the Florida legislature between 2006 and 2016 was compiled and analyzed for potential trends and insights regarding the state of solar energy in Florida today. Solar Defined Solar energy is energy harnessed from the Sun’s radiation, which is converted either into useful heat, via a solar thermal energy system, or into electricity, via a solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system. Concentrating solar power (CSP), which uses mirrors or lenses to reflect and focus sunlight onto a single point for heating purposes, is the primary type of solar thermal energy system utilized in the U.S. Photovoltaic solar energy systems convert solar radiation directly into electricity, usually by utilizing silicon panels that produce an electrical current when sunlight hits them (Penn State Extension 2017). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, PV solar panels placed on just 0.6% of the nation’s total land area could supply enough electricity to power the entire U.S. Additionally, seven southwestern states have the technical potential and land area to site enough CSP to supply more than four times the current U.S. annual electricity demand (U.S. Department of Energy 2017). Solar power can be generated both at the utility-scale or on-site. Utility-scale solar involves the construction of large solar arrays or CSP systems
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