Florida installed the second most solar power capacity in the country last year, and is predicted to become the top-ranked residential solar power state in the nation in 2028, but that growth could be severely impacted by the removal of tax credits in the major spending and tax bill which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a single vote last month.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) says Florida could lose potentially up to 21,800 solar and storage jobs if the current bill isn’t altered before making its way to President Donald Trump’s desk and into law.
Among the provisions included in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act that would severely alter the solar power industry are the removal of tax credits. The bill includes a measure to eliminate the 30% residential federal solar tax credit by the end of the year. Also the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for commercial and utility-scale projects would remain intact initially but phase down to 80% of its full value by 2029, then 60% in 2030, 40% in 2031 and fully eliminated by 2032, according to GreenLancer.com.
“Lost jobs in every single state are a recipe for disaster for American families, businesses, and the U.S. economy,” SEIA President and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper said in a press release. “From Texas and California to Florida and Illinois, lawmakers will put Americans nationwide out of work if this legislation becomes law, plain and simple. Axing energy jobs means shuttered U.S. factories, cancelled local investments, and energy shortfalls nationwide. We hope that U.S. Senators won’t let their constituents lose their livelihoods on their watch.”
If unchanged, the removal of tax credits would also hurt efforts on climate change. The bill could increase U.S. greenhouse gas emissions annually by 1 billion metric tons in a decade, according to an analysis from Princeton University researchers.
Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott has been critical of the bill passed by the House, saying last week it will raise the deficit. He added that he intends to work hard throughout this summer to find more cuts in the package so that he’ll be able to support it when it comes to the Senate floor.
–Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
