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“This is not helping one of the most vulnerable states in the country for climate change.”
Photo Credit: iStock
Florida’s solar buildout has accelerated across both large-scale projects and home rooftops, cementing the state’s status as the Southeast’s dominant market. But a new report warns that growth may begin to slow at a time when Florida has a strong need for cleaner, lower-cost electricity.
According to The Invading Sea, which cited a new report from the nonprofit Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Florida has installed more than 15 gigawatts of solar and could reach about 30 gigawatts by 2030 — far ahead of other states in the region.
The group’s ninth annual “Solar in the Southeast” report said the broader region — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and part of Mississippi — could nearly double its solar capacity by 2030.
SACE Energy Analyst Anne Morrison called Florida the “clear front-runner in the region” and said the state is still expected to add solar at an “impressive rate” in the coming years.
Still, the report said expiring federal tax credits are already reshaping utility plans. Florida Power and Light, identified as the region’s top solar utility, reportedly cut its decade-long solar projection by almost 30% from its 2025 plan and now expects no new solar from 2031 through 2033.
Slower solar growth could mean fewer chances to lower electricity bills, less protection from volatile fossil fuel prices, and a steeper path toward a healthier, more resilient future in Florida.
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Florida is already facing intensifying climate risks, from extreme heat to stronger storms and rising insurance pressures. As the report bluntly put it, “This is not helping one of the most vulnerable states in the country for climate change.”
The shift also has implications for air quality and grid planning. SACE Clean Energy and Equity Director Stacey Washington said rising power demand from data centers is pushing utilities to reconsider fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
In Florida Power and Light’s case, the report said the utility is now planning an additional 3,200 megawatts of natural gas. That could lock in more planet-warming pollution instead of cleaner energy and more stable power costs.
One area that continues to stand out is residential solar. The report said rooftop systems on homes have kept expanding in Florida, with a 2018 policy change that allowed residential leasing helping sustain that growth.
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Leasing can make rooftop solar more accessible because a company may install the panels and keep responsibility for owning and maintaining them, while the homeowner pays for the electricity they produce — often at a cost below the home’s previous power bill, according to The Invading Sea.
SACE Research Director Maggie Shober said affordability, the leasing framework, and the state’s sunny climate continue to support demand. Despite resistance from some utilities, she said Florida “remains a strong market for rooftop solar.”
For homeowners looking to explore solar as an option, EnergySage’s solar map shows the average cost of a home solar panel system on a state-by-state level, along with details on solar panel incentives for each state.
The report also described plug-in solar, sometimes called balcony solar, as an emerging option for people who cannot install rooftop panels. These compact systems can attach to a balcony and connect to a regular outlet.
While Florida has not yet joined the states easing rules for this technology, bills aimed at making adoption easier have been introduced by lawmakers in 35 states and Washington, D.C., and nine states have already passed such legislation.
Although this is not the best news for solar, the report said Florida still remains the “clear front-runner in the region.”
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