Brevard County groups: Vote no on solar 'sham' Amendment 1
Rick Neale , FLORIDA TODAY8:59 p.m. EDT November 3, 2016
Buy Photo
(Photo: RICK NEALE/FLORIDA TODAY)
TITUSVILLE — Amendment 1 is a pseudo-solar initiative that was crafted to fool voters and tighten the fossil-fuel energy companies' grip on Florida's electrical grid, a variety of Brevard County groups and companies say.
"Conservatives are opposed. Liberals are opposed. Consumer groups are opposed. Environmentalists are opposed. The solar industry is opposed. Newspapers are opposed," Phil Stasik, president of the Space Coast Progressive Alliance, said during an anti-Amendment 1 news conference Thursday in Titusville.
"It seems that the only group that's supporting this amendment is the group that wrote and is financing the push for it: the monopoly utilities," Stasik said.
Press-conference participants included the progressive SCPA, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of the Space Coast, the environmentally minded Sierra Club Turtle Coast Group and Marine Resources Council, and private solar companies Clean Footprint of Cape Canaveral and the Melbourne-based Solar Energy Systems of Brevard.
The event took place at the 1903-vintage house of Bill and Betty Young on Indian River Avenue. He is president of the Orlando-based Florida Renewable Energy Association.
Solar boat showcased during anti-Amendment 1 event
Bill Young installed a grid-tied, 2.6-kilowatt photo-voltaic system on the historic home, including solar hot water equipment, in 2004-05. Initially, his electric bill dropped 50 percent. Now, he uses his home solar network to recharge his 2013 Chevrolet Volt — "the sun is filling the batteries," he said.
Young said the language of Amendment 1 opens the door for utility companies to impose "fines, fees and limitations" on homeowners who own solar panels. Specifically, he fears power companies could jack up his nighttime electric rates, nullifying any benefits of owning a solar array.
"I don't want to be fined because I paid money for this," he said, pointing at the solar panels on his roof.
Deborah Longman-Marien, chairwoman of the Sierra Club Turtle Coast Group, labeled Amendment 1 "a wolf in sheep's clothing" that was created and financed by Florida's electric utilities to protect their monopoly markets and limit consumer-owned solar.
"Big utilities have spent over $21 million already on this sham. I personally have received, in my little condo up in Viera, four separate mailings, at least. Maybe five. At least two phone calls on this. And have seen numerous television ads about this. That's big-money backing if you're seeing that many mailings and advertisements," Longman-Marien said.
Hiaasen: Solar amendment is a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’
Wes Morrison, Clean Footprint chief of sales and marketing, said his company is installing solar panels all over Massachusetts and Maryland — "and we're locked out of the Florida market."
"This isn't a left-wing thing. This isn't a right-wing thing. This is a truth thing. We're getting tired of being lied to. We're tired of being misled," Morrison said.
On the airwaves, WMMB-AM conservative radio host Bill Mick criticized Amendment 1 on his talk show Thursday morning.
"A lawsuit has been filed to stop Amendment 1 votes from being counted. I like the idea," Mick wrote in a blog post. "The Amendment is deceptive at best and the ads for it are lying to us all."
Contact Neale at 321-242-3638, rneale@floridatoday.com or follow @RickNeale1 on Twitter
FLORIDA TODAY: Reject Amendment 1's sneak attack on solar power
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
+1-646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com
No comments:
Post a Comment