FPL wants to expand green-power plan to businesses

The Sunshine Energy program, which began in February 2004 to place electricity from renewable sources on the power grid, now has close to 25,000 residential customers. FPL wants to ask state utility regulators if it can add commercial customers to the program starting next year, said David Bates, a heating, venting and air-conditioning manager for FPL, which is owned by Juno Beach-based FPL Group Inc.

FPL's program is voluntary in two ways. Unlike other states, Florida does not require utilities to buy renewable energy. Secondly, FPL's residential customers are not required to participate.

"I don't think people see it as mandatory," Bates said.

Those who have signed up pay an additional $9.75 on their monthly bill. Part of that money covers FPL's marketing costs, and the rest goes to Austin, Texas-based Green Mountain Energy Co., which buys renewable energy from producers.

The place where the energy is bought determines where it goes onto the grid, said Mark Hammer, Green Mountain's operations director for the Southeast.

"If it's in Oklahoma, it goes onto the Oklahoma grid. If it's in Florida, it goes onto the Florida grid," he said.

State lawmakers passed a wide-ranging energy bill in May that calls for research, development and production of renewable energy in Florida to lessen the state's dependence on fossil fuels.

FPL pledged to build 150 kilowatts of solar energy in the state for every 10,000 customers who signed up for the Sunshine Energy program. In April, the utility said it had chosen Rothenbach Park, a former landfill site in suburban Sarasota, for a 250-kilowatt solar farm.

The 28,000-square-foot site will have 1,200 photovoltaic solar panels. It is scheduled to open next year, Bates said.

"This is one way to make solar a reality in Florida," he said.

Environmentalists said FPL's alternative-energy efforts should be moving faster.

"I'd like to see no-interest or low-interest loans for Energy Star-rated appliances," said Holly Binns of the Florida Public Interest Research Group, based in Tallahassee. "I'm always happy to hear about more new clean energy in Florida, but there's a lot more they could be doing."