Ocala Council to Vote on Ending Solar Program

The city council will decide November 17 whether to close its Community Solar Subscription Program, which has lost nearly all of its subscribers.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Utilities

Isometric editorial illustration of rows of dark blue solar panels across flat scrubland beneath a pale sky, with one utility pole in the foreground. — Ocala City Council will vote November 17 on ending its Community Solar Subscription Program after its largest subscriber canceled in April. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your city keep offering optional community solar subscriptions to utility customers?

Ocala City Council will vote on November 17, 2026, on ending the Community Solar Subscription Program run by Ocala Electric Utility. Participants paid a Solar Energy Surcharge of $0.016 per kilowatt-hour, but the program's largest subscriber, holding about 89% of subscribed capacity, canceled in April 2026.

Why it matters

With less than 2% of available capacity still subscribed by October, staff found the costs of marketing and administering the program were disproportionate to its use. The decision would fold the city's 17-megawatt solar entitlement into the utility's general power supply portfolio.

The Solar Energy Surcharge of $0.016 per kilowatt-hour generates about $27,000 per year, which ends with the closure. Existing participants will receive 45 days of advance notice before the rate schedule is terminated.

The players

Ocala Electric Utility

Ocala Electric Utility is the municipal electric provider for the City of Ocala that operates the Community Solar Subscription Program.

Ocala City Council

The Ocala City Council is the elected governing body of the City of Ocala that will vote on whether to end the program.

Florida Municipal Power Agency

The Florida Municipal Power Agency is a joint-action agency of Florida municipal utilities that operates the Florida Municipal Solar Project supplying the program's energy.

The details

The Community Solar Subscription Program launched in June 2020 through Ocala Electric Utility, letting customers subscribe to solar energy generated through the Florida Municipal Power Agency's Florida Municipal Solar Project. The Ocala Utility Advisory Board voted on September 16, 2026, to recommend sunsetting the program, and the subscription tariff will close to new customers effective December 1, 2026.

June 2020: Community Solar Subscription Program launched through Ocala Electric Utility.
April 2026: The program's largest participant canceled their subscription.
September 16, 2026: The Ocala Utility Advisory Board recommended sunsetting the program.
December 1, 2026: The subscription tariff closes to new customers.
November 17, 2026: Ocala City Council will vote on ending the program.

Utility Trajectory

Ocala's decision follows its participation in the Florida Municipal Solar Project, the shared solar supply arrangement through the Florida Municipal Power Agency. Ending the subscription model reverses the city's 2020 move to offer voluntary solar options to customers.

Current participants will receive 45 days of advance notice before their rate schedule ends, so they should plan for the change. New customers will not be able to subscribe after December 1, 2026.

The takeaway

Ocala's solar subscription shows that voluntary utility programs depend on sustained customer enrollment to justify their administrative costs. Residents considering alternative energy should weigh program stability before committing.

What happens next

Ocala City Council will vote on ending the Community Solar Subscription Program on November 17, 2026, and the subscription tariff will close to new customers effective December 1, 2026.