Utilities pour money into solar initiative

BY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

The state's four major electric utilities have spent almost $1.9 million since July in a battle of competing solar-energy ballot initiatives, according to campaign-finance records. Florida Power & Light, Tampa Electric, Gulf Power and Duke Energy are supporting a political committee known as "Consumers for Smart Solar," which reported Tuesday that it had raised $2.31 million in October. In all, the committee had raised about $3.78 million since July, with $1.886 million coming from the utilities. FPL had contributed $595,000 during the three months, while Tampa Electric had contributed $556,000, Gulf had contributed $380,000 and Duke had contributed $355,000, according to a state Division of Elections finance database. The Consumers for Smart Solar committee is seeking to get an initiative on the November 2016 ballot. It still needs Florida Supreme Court approval of its proposal ballot wording and also would need to submit 683,149 petition signatures to the state. As of Wednesday morning, it had submitted 154,747. The committee and utilities are trying to counter another proposed ballot initiative backed by a group called "Floridians for Solar Choice." That group reported Tuesday that it raised $457,683 in October, bringing its overall total to about $1.32 million. Almost all of the money in October --- $450,000 --- came from a political arm of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Floridians for Solar Choice has received Supreme Court approval of its ballot wording and had submitted 207,018 signatures as of Wednesday.