Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

O’Brien, William

Abstract

Scientists agree that human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy, is a major contributor to climate change. Recent global efforts to curb climate change involve the investment in carbon-cutting renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Despite being known as “the Sunshine State,” only 0.26% of Florida’s energy production came from solar sources in 2016. Florida ranks third in the U.S. for rooftop solar potential but only twelfth in the cumulative amount of solar capacity installed. Distributed generation (DG) solar refers to electricity generated near the point-of-use via photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, which includes rooftop solar. Distributed solar remains a controversial topic in Florida. This study attempts to identify the political barriers to distributed generation solar in Florida and examines the connection between political ideology and the success rate of renewable energy legislation in Florida.

Comments

Includes bibliography.

Extent

46 p.

Identifier

FA00012652

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