Ocala Moves to End Its Community Solar Program, Which Drew Almost No Customers

When Ocala Electric Utility (OEU) opened its Community Solar Subscription Program in June 2020, the idea was simple: customers who wanted solar power but could not put panels on their own roof could buy a share of the city's solar. Years later, almost nobody has. A resolution on the Ocala City Council's agenda for Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2026, would end the program, and city staff say the numbers explain why.

AI-generated illustration. Not a photo of Ocala's solar program.

How the program worked

Ocala holds a 17 megawatt (MW) entitlement in the Florida Municipal Power Agency's Florida Municipal Solar Project. Under the community solar program, an OEU customer could subscribe to 25, 50 or 100 percent of their own electricity use from that share. In exchange they paid a Solar Energy Surcharge of $0.016 per kilowatt-hour, a price the city says was designed to reflect the cost of solar without affecting customers who did not sign up.

Where it stands now

The staff report to the council is blunt. As of October 2026, only about 0.2 MW, or 1.17 percent, of the available capacity was subscribed. Staff say that "after five years, the program has not achieved meaningful participation." Residential uptake is described as negligible. One customer previously held about 89 percent of the subscribed capacity, and in April 2026 the program's largest participant canceled, leaving about 99 percent of the entitlement unsubscribed.

Staff also say the cost of administering and marketing the program is out of proportion to its use, that customers frequently confuse it with net metering, and that the surcharge "no longer reliably reflects the actual cost of solar." The city's Utility Advisory Board approved sunsetting the program on Sept. 16, 2026, and the question now goes to the full council.

What happens to the solar

Ending the program does not end Ocala's solar share. Staff recommend that the city keep serving its 17 MW FMPA entitlement through OEU's general power supply, adding it to the general generation portfolio. That means the solar power would be spread across all OEU customers' supply rather than sold to subscribers separately. The report estimates that ending the surcharge removes about $27,000 a year in revenue and says no budget amendment is required.

If you are a subscriber

The staff recommendation calls for giving existing subscribers 45 days' notice. The resolution itself says the program is sunset "upon adoption." The city's documents do not spell out what a subscriber's bill will look like after the program ends, and the draft rate schedule attached to the packet carries end dates that do not match the staff report, so anyone currently subscribed should confirm their own timeline with OEU.

The staff report mentions net metering only to say customers often confuse it with community solar, and it does not describe an alternative program for subscribers. Residents weighing rooftop solar can start with our guide to solar panels in Ocala.

What to expect Nov. 17

The resolution, Resolution 2027-7, is item 6a on the consent agenda, the part of the meeting the council takes up in a single roll-call vote unless a member or the public asks that an item be pulled for separate discussion. The meeting starts at 4 p.m. in Council Chambers at Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Speakers need to submit a comment card to the City Clerk before the meeting is called to order.

Also on the same agenda: the council is scheduled to consider using $7 million in electric reserves to cover a power-cost shortfall. For more on the utility, see Ocala Electric Utility's recent statewide awards and our City Council page.

Sources: City of Ocala staff report and Resolution 2027-7, agenda item 6a, and the Nov. 17, 2026 City Council agenda packet. Checked Nov. 10, 2026. The council had not voted as of this date.