We’re the Sunshine State, right? Yet despite having one of the largest electricity markets in the nation, Florida doesn’t make the top-ten state list for solar development. That may be about to change. Florida is poised, with the implementation of Amendment 4, the defeat of Amendment 1, and continuing dramatic drops in solar prices, to start moving its way up the leadership board.
The Florida legislature unanimously approved SB 90, a bill to implement Amendment 4 – a constitutional amendment that reduces the cost of solar power by exempting solar installations from burdensome taxes. The solar tax burden is one of several challenges to more solar power development in Florida that have been successfully overcome in the past year. The other challenge, an attack on net metering, was successfully beat back by voters with the defeat of the misleading utility-backed Amendment 1 in November 2016 – – it would have paved the way for unfair penalties or fees on solar customers.
The defeat of Amendment 1 and the passage and implementation of Amendment 4 represent big victories towards a clean energy future and are a testament to the power of grassroot campaigns – led by Floridians for Solar Choice – a diverse coalition of hundreds of organizations spanning the political spectrum, and thousands of committed volunteers.
Special thanks for successful passage of tax relief for solar goes to Senator Brandes for sponsoring both the legislative resolution that placed the Amendment 4 on the ballot and for getting the implementing legislation, SB 90, over the finish line earlier this month. The bill now goes to Governor Scott’s desk where he is expected to sign it.
What does it do?
The bill exempts 80% of the value of a solar installation from the tangible personal property (TPP) tax for both residential and commercial properties. That’s great news as the TPP tax has been identified as a major roadblock to more solar development. Tangible personal property is generally property other than real estate that is used in a business. Examples of tangible personal property are computers, furniture, tools, office equipment, leasehold improvements, supplies, and leased equipment. Solar equipment falls within that definition. SB 90 also exempts 80% of the value of a solar installation from the assessment of real property taxes for commercial properties. A 100% exemption already exists for residential properties.
The language approved by lawmakers ultimately varied a bit from what the voters approved with a 73% vote last August. For instance, the commercial tax exemptions do not apply to solar projects planned for installation in a “fiscally constrained county” that have asked for a land-use change prior to December 31, 2017. This means that some larger installations already built or expected to be built in the near-term will not qualify for the exemption. Solar installations on military bases are not subject to this limitation.
What else should you know?
The tax reductions will apply to solar systems installed on or after January 1, 2018. The implementation bill also includes disclosure requirements in solar agreements for all rooftop solar systems to ensure a fully informed consumer. While the requirements are lengthy, the majority of these requirements already exist in standard disclosure documents, but solar installers should review their contracts to ensure they meet these standards.
Solar power costs just keep dropping – utility-scale power purchase agreement prices are coming in at 3 to 5 cents per kWh. At that price, it’s cheaper for power companies to generate electricity from solar installations than conventional power plants. It should come as no surprise then that Florida’s big power companies are ramping up their solar development. After brining 225 MW online in 2016, FPL plans to place another 300 MW in-service by 2017 and 300 MW in 2018, and a total of 1,200 MW through 2021. Gulf Power Company will place 120 MW of solar in-service by the end of this year, through a power purchase agreement for power from 3 solar installations located on military bases in the Florida Panhandle. Duke Energy Florida has a goal to add up to 500 MW of solar by 2024. A number of municipal utility solar projects, such as City of Tallahassee‘s 40 MW installation, are also in various stages of development.
There’s no doubt that solar power is booming nationally and Florida appears ready to join the solar party. The removal of tax burdens on solar installations will surely accelerate more solar development in the Sunshine State. Will Florida soon break the top-ten list for solar development? The solar outlook in the Sunshine State is certainly looking sunny. Check back with us next year!
Below is an extract from a web page. Evaluate whether the page has a high educational value and could be useful in an educational setting for teaching from primary school to grade school levels using the additive 5-point scoring system described below. Points are accumulated based on the satisfaction of each criterion:

- Add 1 point if the extract provides some basic information relevant to educational topics, even if it includes some irrelevant or non-academic content like advertisements and promotional material.
- Add another point if the extract addresses certain elements pertinent to education but does not align closely with educational standards. It might mix educational content with non-educational material, offering a superficial overview of potentially useful topics, or presenting information in a disorganized manner and incoherent writing style.
- Award a third point if the extract is appropriate for educational use and introduces key concepts relevant to school curricula. It is coherent though it may not be comprehensive or could include some extraneous information. It may resemble an introductory section of a textbook or a basic tutorial that is suitable for learning but has notable limitations like treating concepts that are too complex for grade school students. 
- Grant a fourth point if the extract highly relevant and beneficial for educational purposes for a level not higher than grade school, exhibiting a clear and consistent writing style. It could be similar to a chapter from a textbook or a tutorial, offering substantial educational content, including exercises and solutions, with minimal irrelevant information, and the concepts aren't too advanced for grade school students. The content is coherent, focused, and valuable for structured learning.
- Bestow a fifth point if the extract is outstanding in its educational value, perfectly suited for teaching either at primary school or grade school. It follows detailed reasoning, the writing style is easy to follow and offers profound and thorough insights into the subject matter, devoid of any non-educational or complex content.

The extract:
We’re the Sunshine State, right? Yet despite having one of the largest electricity markets in the nation, Florida doesn’t make the top-ten state list for solar development. That may be about to change. Florida is poised, with the implementation of Amendment 4, the defeat of Amendment 1, and continuing dramatic drops in solar prices, to start moving its way up the leadership board.
The Florida legislature unanimously approved SB 90, a bill to implement Amendment 4 – a constitutional amendment that reduces the cost of solar power by exempting solar installations from burdensome taxes. The solar tax burden is one of several challenges to more solar power development in Florida that have been successfully overcome in the past year. The other challenge, an attack on net metering, was successfully beat back by voters with the defeat of the misleading utility-backed Amendment 1 in November 2016 – – it would have paved the way for unfair penalties or fees on solar customers.
The defeat of Amendment 1 and the passage and implementation of Amendment 4 represent big victories towards a clean energy future and are a testament to the power of grassroot campaigns – led by Floridians for Solar Choice – a diverse coalition of hundreds of organizations spanning the political spectrum, and thousands of committed volunteers.
Special thanks for successful passage of tax relief for solar goes to Senator Brandes for sponsoring both the legislative resolution that placed the Amendment 4 on the ball.

After examining the extract: 
- Briefly justify your total score, up to 100 words.
- Conclude with the score using the format: “Educational score:  <total points>”

Remember to assess from the AI Assistant perspective, utilizing web search knowledge as necessary. To evaluate the response in alignment with this additive scoring model, we’ll systematically attribute points based on the outlined criteria.