In short: Nearly every home in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach buys power from FPL, which averaged about 13.7¢ per kWh for homes in 2024 and about 46 minutes of outages per customer on ordinary days. Hurricanes, flooding and lightning are the local risks to plan for, and NASA’s data gives Miami strong year-round sun.
This page covers what is specific to South Florida. For statewide rules (net metering, tax exemptions, contractor licenses) see our Florida energy guide.
South Florida at a glance
- Main utility: Florida Power & Light (FPL) serves Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. Two small city-owned utilities serve their own towns: Homestead in Miami-Dade and Lake Worth Beach in Palm Beach County (EIA-861 service territories, 2024).
- What homes paid in 2024: FPL averaged 13.71¢ per kWh for its 5.2 million home customers, below the Florida average of about 14.1¢. Homestead averaged 12.29¢ and Lake Worth Beach 12.60¢ (EIA-861, 2024 revenue divided by sales).
- Outage minutes (2024): FPL customers averaged about 702 minutes without power counting major storm days, and 46 minutes without them, with 0.44 interruptions on ordinary days. Statewide the figures were about 1,322 and 66 minutes (EIA-861).
- Sunshine (estimate): NASA POWER puts Miami at about 5.0 kWh per square meter per day and West Palm Beach at 4.8. Our rough estimate is about 1,460 kWh a year per kW of panels in Miami and 1,410 in West Palm Beach.
- Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index): Miami-Dade’s overall risk is rated “very high”, with hurricanes, coastal flooding, river and rain flooding and lightning all “very high” and heat waves “relatively high”. Broward rates hurricanes, coastal flooding and lightning “very high”; Palm Beach rates hurricanes and lightning “very high”.
- Public charging: Miami had 1,355 public charging ports, Fort Lauderdale 415, West Palm Beach 409 and Boca Raton 312 (AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026; public Level 2 and DC fast ports).
Your utility and what it means
FPL. FPL is an investor-owned utility, so it follows the Florida Public Service Commission’s net metering rule. On FPL’s own description, solar power you send to the grid is deducted from your monthly bill or carried forward as a credit within the same calendar year; any surplus left at the end of the year is credited at a lower rate tied to FPL’s cost of generation. For most homes that means solar sized to your own yearly use earns close to full value.
FPL also offers FPL EVolution Home, a Level 2 home charger with installation and maintenance for a monthly fee on a 10-year agreement ($36 a month with full installation or $27 for equipment-only installation, as listed on FPL’s page in October 2026). It is open to owners of single-family homes or townhouses with an attached garage, and it is not available if you are on solar net metering or a time-of-use rate. If you plan to add solar, weigh that before you sign. We found no FPL program for home batteries; FPL’s on-site backup service is only for large commercial customers.
Homestead and Lake Worth Beach. City-owned utilities set their own solar export terms and programs rather than following the investor-owned utilities’ rule. If your bill comes from either city, ask the utility how exported solar power is credited before you buy a system.
Backup power in South Florida
FPL’s ordinary-day record is good: about 46 minutes without power per customer in 2024, one of the lower figures among large Florida utilities. The jump to about 702 minutes once storm days are counted is the part to plan for. In October 2024, FPL says it restored more than 2 million customers in about five days after Hurricane Milton, which hit its west-coast service area hardest. In a direct South Florida hit, many homes could be without power for days, in heat and humidity.
- Single-family homes: a standby generator on natural gas or a propane tank handles air conditioning through a long outage; a portable generator with a transfer switch or interlock is the budget option. Size it with the generator sizing tool and read about generator installation.
- Condos and townhouses: many South Florida buildings don’t allow generators or fuel storage. A home battery (where the association allows it) or a portable power station for a fridge, fans, phones and medical devices is often the realistic choice. Estimate runtime with the battery backup calculator.
- Flood zones: with coastal and rain flooding rated “very high” in Miami-Dade, ask your installer where the equipment will sit relative to the flood elevation of your lot.
After a storm, run a portable generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away from doors and windows, never in a garage (CPSC), and keep battery carbon monoxide alarms on every level. Compare every option on our backup power page.
Solar in South Florida
South Florida has some of the strongest sun in the state on NASA’s data, and FPL credits exports under the state’s net metering rule. The one thing that stretches the payback is FPL’s price: at about 13.7¢ per kWh in 2024 it was below the state average.
Rough example (our estimate, not a quote): a 6 kW system in Miami at about 1,460 kWh per kW would make roughly 8,800 kWh a year. At FPL’s 2024 average of 13.71¢, that is about $1,200 of electricity a year if every kWh offsets one you would have bought. Your roof, shade, usage and rate decide the real number; try the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, and see what solar costs.
Panels here are hurricane equipment too. The City of Miami asks for a letter from a Florida professional engineer stating that the system will not harm the building’s structure in normal conditions or in a hurricane of Florida Building Code strength, and Miami-Dade County’s solar guidance is written for the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. Expect your installer’s roof attachment design to be part of the price. More in solar installation and net metering explained.
Batteries
Because FPL’s net metering already gives most of the value of your exports, a battery here is mainly about keeping power on during a storm, not about saving more on the bill. Pair it with solar so it can refill each sunny day while the grid is down. We found no FPL battery rebate. See battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging
At FPL’s 2024 average of 13.71¢ per kWh and about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging at home works out to roughly $4.10 per 100 miles (our estimate). You can install your own Level 2 charger through a licensed electrician, or use FPL EVolution Home for a monthly fee if you are not on net metering or a time-of-use rate. Run your numbers with the EV charging cost calculator and read EV charger installation. Federal charger and EV credits have ended.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Miami: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of Miami: the Building Department’s solar panel permit page lists the documents; the contractor must hold an EC (electrical) or CVC license, and the engineer’s hurricane letter is required.
- Unincorporated Miami-Dade: the county’s solar PV permit page explains online submission with digitally signed and sealed plans; solar projects can ask for the county’s green building expedited review.
- Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach: permits come from each city’s building department (or the county outside city limits).
- Who does the work: a licensed electrician or solar contractor for panels, batteries, transfer switches and chargers; a licensed gas contractor for a standby generator’s gas line. Check licenses on the state’s DBPR lookup (see the Florida guide).
- Condos and HOAs: get the association’s written approval before you sign anything for the roof, an outdoor generator or a garage charger.
Cities we cover
- Miami
- Fort Lauderdale
- Boca Raton
- West Palm Beach
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South Florida energy questions
Who is my electric company in Miami or Fort Lauderdale?
Almost certainly FPL. EIA’s 2024 service territory data lists FPL across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, with small city-owned utilities only in Homestead and Lake Worth Beach. Your bill shows which one you have, and that decides your solar export credit and charger options.
Can I get FPL’s home EV charger program if I have solar?
Not while you are on solar net metering. FPL’s EVolution Home page lists net metering and time-of-use customers as not eligible. If you have or plan solar, buying a Level 2 charger and having a licensed electrician install it is the usual route.
Do solar panels in Miami need special hurricane approval?
The City of Miami’s solar permit requires a signed and sealed letter from a Florida professional engineer saying the installation will not harm the building’s structure in normal conditions or in a code-level hurricane. Your contractor prepares this with the permit; ask to see it.
Is a battery or a generator better in a South Florida condo?
Usually a battery or a portable power station, because many associations don’t allow generators or fuel on balconies and a generator must run at least 20 feet from the home. Check your association’s rules first, then size for the fridge, fans, lights and any medical devices.
How long were FPL’s outages in 2024?
On average about 46 minutes per customer without major event days and about 702 minutes with them, from FPL’s report to EIA covering its whole service area. Storm years push the second number up, which is why South Florida backup plans should cover several days.
Sources
EIA-861 2024 (sales, reliability and service territory files); NASA POWER climatology 2001 to 2020; FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); AFDC (October 2026); FPL net metering, EVolution Home, battery storage and Hurricane Milton pages (read October 3, 2026); City of Miami Building Department and Miami-Dade County solar permit pages (October 2026); CPSC generator safety guidance.