In short: Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples get their power from FPL or the Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC). In 2024 the average LCEC member lost about 28 hours of power, almost all of it on storm days, and after Hurricane Ian in 2022 it took LCEC about two weeks to reconnect most members. So backup power comes first here, then solar.
This page covers what is specific to Southwest Florida. For statewide rules such as net metering law, tax breaks and contractor licensing, see our Florida energy guide.
Southwest Florida at a glance
- Utilities: EIA lists two electric utilities in both Lee and Collier counties: Florida Power & Light (FPL) and the Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC, about 258,000 customers). Your bill tells you which one serves your street.
- Home electricity price (2024 average): about 13.7¢ per kWh at FPL and 13.5¢ at LCEC (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales).
- Outage minutes per customer (2024): LCEC about 1,711 minutes counting major storms, but only about 70 minutes on ordinary days; FPL, company-wide, about 702 and 46 (EIA-861).
- Sunshine: about 5.0 kWh per square meter per day around Fort Myers and Naples (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,470 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: hurricanes, lightning and coastal flooding are rated “very high” in Lee County; Collier County is “very high” for hurricanes, lightning and cold waves, and “relatively high” for coastal and inland flooding (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 155 public charging ports in Fort Myers, 69 in Cape Coral and 252 in Naples, Level 2 and DC fast combined (AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC)
LCEC is a member-owned co-op, so its net metering follows its own rules rather than the state rule for FPL. Power your panels send to the grid is banked as kWh and used against later bills. Whatever is left after the December bill is paid out in January at LCEC’s “avoided wholesale rate”, which was 2.875¢ per kWh for 2025, far below the retail price. Amounts under $300 come as a bill credit, larger ones by check. LCEC itself advises sizing a system to produce no more than you use in a year.
Before switching on, LCEC wants an application, an interconnection agreement, proof of inspection by your city or county, an application fee and a manual disconnect switch, and it installs a two-way meter. Running the system before that meter is in place is not allowed. See the LCEC net metering page. About 9,400 LCEC homes already had net-metered solar in 2024 (EIA-861).
LCEC also offers GenerLink, a device fitted at the meter that lets you plug a portable generator straight into the house. LCEC does not install it on multi-unit buildings or on homes with grid-connected solar; check the GenerLink page for price and terms. We found no LCEC home battery rebate, EV rebate or EV rate.
Florida Power & Light (FPL)
FPL follows the state net metering rule: exported kWh are credited one-for-one during the year, and any surplus at year end is paid at a lower as-available rate (FPL net metering). For EV drivers, FPL’s EVolution Home program rents you a Level 2 charger with installation and maintenance over a 10-year agreement; the program page showed $36 a month with full installation or $27 equipment-only, plus the energy you use. Homes on net metering or a time-of-use rate can’t join, so solar owners need another route. Check the program page, since prices change.
Backup power in Southwest Florida
On normal days the grid here is steady: about 70 minutes of interruptions a year for LCEC members. Storms change everything. Hurricane Ian came ashore on September 28, 2022; four days later LCEC had restored only 24% of its customers, and on October 11 power was back for most of its 240,586 customers able to receive it, except on Sanibel and Pine Island. In 2024, the year of Helene and Milton, LCEC’s storm-inclusive figure reached about 1,711 minutes, roughly 28 hours per member.
So plan for several days in heat and humidity. A standby generator on natural gas or a large propane tank covers air conditioning and medical needs; a portable generator with a transfer switch or GenerLink is the budget route; a battery with solar keeps essentials going and refills each sunny day. Compare them on our backup power guide, size a unit with the generator sizing tool and see generator installation. Run a portable generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with exhaust pointed away (CPSC), and never in a garage. In flood zones, ask about raising the generator and the electrical equipment above the expected water level.
Solar in Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is one of the sunnier corners of the state: NASA’s long-term figure for the Fort Myers area is about 5.0 kWh per square meter per day, from about 3.4 in December to 6.5 in May. Our rough estimate is about 1,470 kWh a year per kW of panels.
What that could be worth (estimate): a 6 kW system would make roughly 8,800 kWh a year. At 2024 average prices that is about $1,200 of electricity with either FPL or LCEC, if every kWh replaces one you would have bought. With LCEC, oversizing loses money because the year-end surplus earns only the wholesale rate. Try your own roof with the solar potential tool, read how solar installation works and check what solar costs.
Roofs here must handle hurricane winds, and Cape Coral will not issue a solar permit while a roofing permit is open on the same building, so if your roof is near the end of its life, replace it first.
Batteries
Because both utilities credit exports, a battery here is mainly about the days after a storm, not about saving money on the bill. Paired with solar, it can keep a fridge, fans, lights, Wi-Fi and a medical device running and recharge while the grid is down. We found no FPL or LCEC home battery incentive. Start with home batteries, size one with the battery backup calculator and read about battery installation.
EV charging
Naples has the most public charging of the three cities, with 252 ports, including 77 DC fast; Fort Myers has 155 (41 DC fast) and Cape Coral 69 (4 DC fast) (AFDC, October 3, 2026). At home, using about 30 kWh per 100 miles, charging costs roughly $4.10 per 100 miles at the 2024 average FPL or LCEC price (our estimate). Try the EV charging cost calculator and see EV charger installation.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Fort Myers: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- Cape Coral: the Permitting Services Division’s Permit Document Center has a residential photovoltaic guideline (revised September 2026): apply on the city portal, by an electrical or solar contractor or an owner-builder, with a structural affidavit and floodplain review where it applies.
- Fort Myers: the city’s Building, Permitting & Inspections Division handles permits inside city limits; see the city’s website.
- Unincorporated Lee County: Building & Permitting Services publishes a solar permitting guide; contractors apply through eConnect.
- Naples: the city Building Division has a solar page with an application and checklist.
- Unincorporated Collier County: Building Plan Review & Inspection lists solar submittal requirements and a solar inspection affidavit on its application requirements page.
Wiring for solar, batteries, transfer switches and EV chargers is work for a licensed electrician or solar contractor, and gas lines for a standby generator need a licensed gas contractor. HOAs: under Florida Statute 163.04 an association can’t ban solar panels, but it may choose where on the roof they go, within 45 degrees of south, as long as that doesn’t hurt their output.
Cities we cover
- Fort Myers
- Cape Coral
- Naples
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Southwest Florida energy questions
Does LCEC have net metering?
Yes. LCEC banks the kWh your panels export and uses them against later bills. Any balance left after the December bill is paid in January at its avoided wholesale rate, 2.875¢ per kWh for 2025, as a bill credit under $300 or a check above that. Because that rate is far below retail, size your system to your yearly use.
How long were people without power after Hurricane Ian?
For LCEC members, up to about two weeks. Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022. LCEC had restored 24% of customers by October 2 and most of its 240,586 customers able to receive power by October 11, while Sanibel and Pine Island were still out. Plan backup for days, not hours.
Can I use LCEC’s GenerLink if I have solar panels?
No. LCEC says it does not install GenerLink where a grid-connected solar system is present, or on multi-unit buildings. Solar homes usually choose a battery or a generator with a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician instead.
Can my HOA in Cape Coral or Naples stop me from installing solar?
Not outright. Florida Statute 163.04 says deed restrictions and covenants can’t deny solar collectors. The association may decide where on the roof they go, facing south or within 45 degrees east or west of south, as long as that doesn’t impair how well they work. You still need a city or county permit.
Can I get FPL’s EV charger program if I have solar?
Not under current rules: FPL’s EVolution Home program page says homes enrolled in net metering or a time-of-use rate don’t qualify. Solar owners can buy a Level 2 charger and have a licensed electrician install it on a permitted 240-volt circuit.
Sources
EIA-861 2024 (service territory, sales, reliability and net metering files); NASA POWER climatology (2001 to 2020); FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); AFDC Station Locator (October 3, 2026); LCEC net metering page and guidelines, GenerLink page and Hurricane Ian restoration updates (October 2 and 11, 2022); FPL net metering and EVolution Home pages; Cape Coral, Lee County, Naples and Collier County permit pages; Florida Statute 163.04; CPSC. All checked October 3, 2026.