Editorial: Vote Yes on Amendment 4

Despite its "Sunshine State" nickname, Florida's record on producing solar energy–less than 1 percent of power generated–has been rather dismal. This is in large part because the utility industry has resisted investing in this less profitable alternative to fossil fuels, while using their clout to make it less attractive to businesses and individuals to convert on their own.

Amendment 4 would incentivize the much-needed transition toward clean, renewable solar energy by exempting the value of rooftop solar panels and other related equipment from commercial property taxes, which is already the case for residential property taxes.

Consequently, homeowners who invest in solar panels do not face higher taxes, and Amendment 4 would extend that tax break to commercial properties, while also exempting the equipment from the tangible personal property tax (a tax businesses pay on the value of equipment and machinery assets).

This creates an incentive for businesses to invest in solar energy equipment. Without it, much of the savings seen with solar are eaten up by higher taxes, discouraging such investment. This is a no-brainer amendment that was put on the ballot by the legislature and has no opposition group fighting it. If it is approved by 60 percent of voters, the exemptions would stay in effect for the next 20 years.

The biggest challenge will be confusion. Amendment 4 is completely different from Amendment 1, which will appear on the November ballot. Amendment 1 is backed by the utility industry and is a deliberately misleading campaign that is being presented as a boon for solar when it actually would punish Floridians when they generate their own power from solar panels.

Florida will be ground zero in the United States when it comes to facing rising sea levels, the migration of tropical diseases and other ramifications of climate change. As such, it is imperative that we are also at the forefront of developing technologies that can reduce our carbon footprint. Given our unique access to sunlight, developing a leading solar energy platform is the best way to do that. We have a long way to go in that regard, but Amendment 4 is a step in the right direction.