While US Solar Installers are expanding rapidly as solar power grows at a rapid pace across the country, the Sunshine state Florida refuses to adopt legislation to promote solar energy.
The state has less than 5% of the country’s total solar power capacity and managed to install just 3 MW of solar power. New Jersey, on the other hand, installed around 176 MW in the first quarter of 2012.
The drastic fall in solar panel prices has made solar power much more affordable leading to a sharp spurt in demand around the world. However Florida has not adopted any legislation to promote the use of solar energy, even failing to adopt a Renewable Energy Standard of 20% by 2020.
Note: most countries in the world have adopted some sort of RES, even poor countries like India also have mandates to install 15% of their capacity from renewable energy.
Florida, this is pathetic!
Florida’s Pathetic Attempt to Go Solar originally appeared in Green Chip Stocks. Green Chip Review is a free 2x-per-week newsletter, is the first advisory to focus exclusively on investments in alternative and renewable energies.
Given the advantageous position of Florida – the abundance of direct sunlight, I thought they could have capitalised on it. On another note, I would say India is doing pretty good on the solar energy front from strategic solar panel placements to grid independent solar systems. At least I am proud to say that we really are doing very well.