Key West The Newspaper

“Shady Solar Amendment” only gets support from 30% of Florida Voters

Orlando, Fla. – Consumers for Smart Solar – a diverse, bipartisan coalition of business, civic and faith leaders – today received affirmation that its campaign to place its Smart Solar Amendment on the 2016 General Election ballot is widely favored by Floridians in a poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.

“Today’s poll results that show Floridians widely favor our Smart Solar Amendment is reassuring and affirms exactly why we are proposing this consumer-friendly amendment,” said Dick Batchelor, co-chairman of the Consumers for Smart Solar. “Our Smart Solar Amendment is clearly written not to benefit any industry, but Florida consumers – whether they choose solar or not. We agree that Florida needs solar, but we must do it the right way.”

“The Shady Solar Amendment proposed by Floridians for Solar Choice reeks of what it is – an amendment written to benefit one narrow, out-of-state special interest at a great expense and risk to Floridians,” said Jim Kallinger, co-chairman of the Consumers for Smart Solar. “Our Smart Solar Amendment provides voters exactly what they want – more solar with consumer protection and without subsidies.”

According to the Tampa Bay Times, 66 percent of voters polled by Mason-Dixon said they would support the Smart Solar Amendment that “establishes a right under Florida’s constitution for consumers to own or lease solar equipment installed on their property to generate electricity for their own use,” compared with just 22 percent who would not. By contrast only 30 percent of Florida voters support the Shady Solar Amendment offered by the out-of-state solar industry, with 45 percent opposing it. To review the poll results, please visit http://bit.ly/1IquOkL.

For more information on Consumers for Smart Solar, please visit SmartSolarFL.org, follow @SmartSolarFL and like FB.com/SmartSolarFL.