MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a invoice on Wednesday that might have ended solar energy subsidies for residential clients.
The Republican governor killed the anti-net metering invoice that had been handed by the Republican-controlled Legislature by votes of 24-15 within the Senate and 83-31 within the House. It’s the second invoice DeSantis has vetoed from the 2022 legislative session. He vetoed a U.S. congressional district map authorized by the Legislature final month after which referred to as lawmakers again for a particular session this month to approve a map that he had drawn himself.
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“Given that the United States is experiencing its worst inflation in 40 years and that consumers have seen steep increases in the price of gas and groceries, as well as escalating bills, the state of Florida should not contribute to the financial crunch that our citizens are experiencing,” DeSantis wrote within the veto letter.
Florida established internet metering in 2008 as a approach to encourage house house owners to put in photo voltaic panels and bolster the comparatively new photo voltaic trade. Under internet metering, electrical firms are required to purchase again further vitality generated by house panels after that vitality is added to the utility’s grid for distribution to non-solar clients.
The new laws would have began taking impact subsequent yr, when the credit score acquired by new clients with photo voltaic panels would have progressively began to drop. New clients with photo voltaic panels would now not obtain any credit by 2029. Existing clients with photo voltaic panels would have saved receiving credit for 20 years on the charge from when their panels had been put in.
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Supporters of the invoice have argued that internet metering unfairly pushes utility prices to non-solar clients. Critics have mentioned the invoice would successfully kill the residential photo voltaic trade in Florida.
Democratic State Sen. Lori Berman, who opposed the invoice, mentioned she was shocked by the veto.
“I’m really glad to see that the governor took the side of the consumers in this situation,” Berman mentioned.
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