BY JOHN DORSCHNER
jdorschner@MiamiHerald.com
After months of discussion, the Public Service Commission on Thursday approved agreements from the state's five investor-owned power companies so that customers can receive credit for electricity that they feed back to the grid from solar panels and other forms of renewable energy on their property.
The concept, called net metering, is to promote the development of customer-owned renewable energy by minimalizing costs. Excess power that the customer generates and doesn't use will be allowed to go into the grid, and then the utility will give the homeowner a credit for that power.
''By making it more attractive for customers to use renewables, we are promoting fuel diversity and reliability and increasing development of renewable generation in Florida,'' said PSC Chairman Matthew M. Carter II in a prepared statement. ``Today's approval will encourage eligible customers to reduce the electricity purchased from their utility -- saving money for the customer and increasing grid capacity for the utility.''
The discussion about net metering has been taking place in PSC workshops and commission meetings for a year and a half.
The new measure applies to customers of Florida Power & Light, Progress Energy Florida, Gulf Power, Tampa Electric and Florida Public Utilities.
Under a previous rule, only renewable systems of 10 kilowatts or smaller were eligible. That has been expanded to two megawatts, meaning large businesses with solar panels occupying rooftops can now qualify for the program.
Also on Thursday, the PSC approved FPL's request to build another generator powered by natural gas in western Palm Beach County.
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