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A dust up between solar advocates and a state Senator is erupting on the eve of the annual legislative session. The fight is a window into the often unintended consequences in state politics. At the center is legislation that would allow greater use of solar resources, but advocates worry utilities could end up being the big winners.

Under Florida law, only regulated utilities can see electricity. The regulation has thwarted stores like Publix who want to install solar on their rooftop, then sell what power they don’t use to stores next door. State Senator Jeff Brandes has filed legislation that would allow just that.

“It’s something that I think is the right policy for the state of Florida. It shouldn’t be illegal to sell power” says Brandes.

But a part of Brandes’s bill has the solar community’s hair on fire. The bill allows utilities to “recover the full actual cost of providing services” which some says would allow utilities to hike the rate for connecting a business to the grid. Susan Glickman of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is hoping the bill is withdrawn.

“We don’t want something thats going to put onerous charges on people who want to put solar up” says Glickman.

Glickman’s group is also part of a coalition circulating petitions.

This proposed constitutional amendment allows the sale of excess solar, but it makes no mention of utilities being able to charge you more for hookup. Glickman would prefer the ballot measure over legislation.

“We think the ballot measure is a clear shot to getting the kind of policy that they have in other states.  Again, we are one of only five states that don’t allow this” says Glickman.

That the fight is even happening…in the public…is a testament to how far clean energy advocates have been able to move the legislative priorities in what has been a utility dominated arena.

Campaign records show Florida Power and Light gave more than a million dollars to the Republican Party of Florida Last Year. Duke Energy contributed just over a quarter million to the RPOF. The totals don’t contributions to individual legislators.