Leading the Nation: GRU’s Solar Feed-in-Tariff
Pending expected Public Service Commission approval, the program will begin March 1
Gainesville Regional Utilities announced that its board of directors, the Gainesville City Commission, gave unanimous approval last night to adopt a solar photovoltaic feed-in-tariff— the first of its kind in the nation. Based on highly successful models in Europe, it offers GRU electric customers a chance to invest in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and sell electricity directly to GRU.
Ed Regan, GRU assistant general manager for strategic planning, visited Germany to study European PV models prior to proposing the Gainesville program. Regan said, “The feed-in-tariff is more attractive to solar investors than traditional solar rebate programs because it guarantees that the utility will buy all of the electricity produced by the PV system at a fixed rate for 20 years. It offers investors a reliable and predictable source of income.”
Pending expected Florida Public Service commission approval, GRU customers can sign up for the feed-in-tariff as of March 1. Participants signing up during the first two years of the program will be guaranteed a fixed rate of $0.32 per kilowatt hour for 20 years. GRU estimates that investors will see a 5-percent return on investment for large-scale projects.
A delegation from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) visited Gainesville to support the tariff adoption and to promote the use of solar energy in Florida. EPIA members represent 80 percent of the worldwide PV manufacturing industry.
Dr. Murray Cameron, vice president of EPIA, said, “Our goal here is to promote the uptake of solar so that the United States, within three years, becomes the largest market of solar on the planet.” Cameron added, “In the difficult economic times that we are going through now, there are few safer havens for a stable return on investment than solar.”
For more information please view:
- Solar FIT application information and forms
- GRU Electric Service Territory Map
- City of Gainesville Ordinance
- FAQ’s
Presentations from EPIA visit to Gainesville:
- GRU FIT Overview
- Phoenix Solar
- Q-Cells
- Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce/Council for Economic Outreach and The University of Florida
Subscribe to the GRU News Flash and get the latest information on changes to our prices, energy and water savings tips, copies of GRU news releases, new product and service information and more.
