By Dawn Shirreffs, Environmental Defense Fund
Florida’s affordability challenges must remain top of mind for lawmakers. Among the pressures on family budgets are higher electric bills, often tied to swings in global natural gas prices.
The good news is that Florida’s natural advantages — especially our sunshine — offer a path forward. Expanding the use of solar power and other homegrown energy sources can help stabilize costs, reduce dependence on volatile fuel markets and keep more dollars circulating right here at home.
Natural gas dominates Florida’s energy mix. Today, more than 75% of our state’s electricity is derived from natural gas, and as Florida’s investor-owned utilities have noted this dependence on one main source leaves Florida consumers vulnerable to the whims of a highly volatile natural gas market. In fact, Floridians most recently took a direct and expensive hit to their wallets in 2023 when fuel costs jumped 61% in a single year due to natural gas prices.
New data from EQ Research’s recent report finds the rising cost of natural gas could cost Floridians $21 billion more by 2034. Fuel costs are a little known but substantial 17%-30% of the power bill that crosses party lines and hits households and small businesses every month.
Recent polling reveals 82% of consumers are frustrated by high energy costs. For a retiree on a fixed income, fuel cost price spikes can mean being forced to choose between keeping their power on or filling a necessary prescription. While natural gas will remain a big part of the energy portfolio for the near future, the more we encourage the development of new sources of energy, the more stability Florida ratepayers will see in their bill.
Solar is 20-28% cheaper than new natural gas generation, creates local jobs and keeps dollars in-state. This is one of the main reasons Florida’s investor-owned utilities have and should continue to make smart investments in solar power generation to hedge against volatile costs. These bold moves will reduce Florida’s over-dependence on natural gas, especially as demand is surging globally and prices are expected to skyrocket.
As the 2026 legislative session begins in January, it’s critical for policy makers to not make it more difficult in Florida to invest in homegrown, affordable and stable solar energy solutions. Instead of doubling down on natural gas that is both more expensive to produce and increasingly more expensive to buy, Florida’s leaders should support investments in solar and remove barriers for broader adoption. To do anything else would risk even more sting to the wallets of everyday Floridians.
This year, there are lots of affordability challenges to address, but Florida policymakers have a clear pathway to prioritize a diverse energy mix and energy efficiency, and lower costs for Florida’s families and businesses. Investing in solar is the pragmatic solution to expanding homegrown energy, strengthening our electric grid and keeping Florida dollars and energy investments in our state.
The Sunshine State’s energy independence and economy depend upon the leadership of this legislature to get us off the volatile and unsustainable natural gas roller coaster.
Dawn Shirreffs is the Florida director of the Environmental Defense Fund. This opinion piece was originally published by the Orlando Sentinel, which is a media partner of The Invading Sea. Banner photo: Florida Power and Light’s Discovery Solar Energy Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. (iStock image).
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