How Florida quietly exceeds California in solar growth

Solar energy is thriving in the United States and for the first time Florida catching the industry of the power plant Texas and California.

Although the removal of climate change from its official state policy in 2024, Florida added more solar energy than utility services from California last year, with completion 3 gigawatts of a new capacity coming online.

“This is not Fluk,” said Sylvia Leva Martinez, a senior analyst at Wood Mackenzie. “Florida now shapes national solar growth.”

The tide is driven by utilities, not by roof panels. Florida power and light Only over 70% of the country’s new solar energy was built last year. The state rule allows developers to miss long -term reviews for projects under 75 megawatts, which accelerates construction and reduces costs.

“There is no silver bullet,” says Sid Kitson, founder of Babcock Ranch, a city designed to feed almost entirely from solar energy. “But one thing that Florida is fine is acceptance. Here, people want solar energy. And we prove it works.”

Babcock Ranch works on his own micro -ratio and stayed online during Hurricane Ian in 2022, While much of the southwestern Florida darkened.

“We have not lost power, internet or water,” said Don Bishop, a homeowner there. “This changes the way you think about energy.”

The economy does the rest. With the increase in demand for industrial and raising natural gas prices, solar energy is an increasing option, even without subsidies.

“Utilities do not build solar energy because it is green,” Martinez said. “They do it because it’s more cheaper.”

But new challenges are emerging.

In July, President Trump signed A big beautiful account, which accelerates the return of solar and wind tax loans. Housing owners lose the federal investment loan after 2025. The developers are confronted with the more terms and further supply rules.

“This will not kill the market,” says Zoya Gaston, an analyst who follows the solar industry at Wood Mackenzie. “But it makes mathematics more difficult.”

Analysts now expect a 42% drop In the solar installation of the roof in Florida over the next five years. And as the growth of the usefulness continues, the network limitations become a problem. Utilities pour money into storage, intelligent infrastructure and GRID upgrades to continue.

Babcock Ranch piloting new microse systems to add resistance. The hope is that other communities can take the play book and adapt it, like in one block on one block in one block at once.

“We’ve been testing this for years,” Kitson said. “It’s about scale now. It’s about showing others that they can do it too.”

The bigger question is whether Florida can maintain this impulse without policy support and while it still relies heavily on natural gas.

“Florida has solar resources,” says Mark Jacobson, a professor at Stanford’s Civil and Environment Division. “What is missing is the political sequence.”

Watch the video to see how Florida has become a solar leader and what can slow it down.