‘Smart Solar' group continues spending on ads

A group backing a controversial solar-energy initiative on the November ballot spent $761,758 from Sept. 17 to Sept. 23 and had spent nearly $2.9 million in September, according to a newly filed finance report.

Consumers for Smart Solar, which has been heavily funded by electric utilities, had raised an overall total of $21.18 million as of Sept. 23 and had about $2.4 million in cash on hand, the report shows.

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The spending in September had included at least $2.19 million on advertising and about $467,000 on direct mail, the report shows.

The proposed constitutional amendment, which will appear on the November ballot as Amendment 1, has drawn opposition from environmentalists and some other groups.

If approved by voters, the initiative largely would put into the state Constitution existing rules on the use of solar energy in Florida.