The biggest power company in the US is pushing policy changes that would hamstring rooftop solar power in Florida, delivering legislation for a state lawmaker to introduce, according to records obtained by the Miami Herald and Floodlight. The company is lobbying to weaken net metering policies, which allow homeowners and businesses with rooftop solar to sell unused power back to the grid to offset the costs of installation. According to emails obtained during the investigation, FPL sent specific legislation text to state senator Jennifer Bradley’s office; two days later, their parent company, NextEra Energy, donated $10,000 to her political committee. A month later, Bradley filed a bill almost identical to the one FPL sent in the Senate, and a different lawmaker introduced it in the House. While only 1% of Florida electricity customers currently sell power from rooftop solar back to the grid, the policy has been charged with expanding the industry, and any changes could hamstring it. Utility experts say that rooftop solar in Florida could grow by 39% a year until 2025 if the current net-metering system is left in place. Rooftop solar is a threat to the business model of power companies like FPL because they don't make money off power generated from rooftop panels. Florida has the second-largest solar workforce in the US, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. It ranks third among states for installed solar capacity, although much of that is large-scale and utility owned. Justin Vandenbroeck, president of the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association who also owns an Orlando-based solar installation company, said if the bill passes it could “send Florida back to 2013”. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/20/revealed-a-florida-power-company-wrote-its-own-bill-to-slow-rooftop-solar