How will the Florida House and Senate meet the needs of a renewable future?
April 13th, 2009 by Susan Nilon in News, Politics, Sarasota-Manatee
There are three weeks left in Florida’s legislative session. The one question that seems to be left unanswered is, “Will there be legislation on Governor Crist’s goal of 20 percent renewable energy by 2020?”
The Senate is working on a bill sponsored by Senator King (Senate Bill 1154) that offers a big compromise for all who have an interest in energy. Renamed the Clean Portfolio Standard (it used to be Renewable Portfolio Standard — RPS), it offers the governor’s goal to be met by not only renewable energy like solar, wind and biomass, but also with nuclear energy (constructed after the date of the rule) and Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle with carbon capture and sequestration (otherwise known as “clean coal”). Nuclear and clean coal is limited to 5 percent of the 20 percent, leaving 15 percent of the goal to renewable energy.
The House is working on a similar bill, but there is still a big question as to what it will have in it. The one common feeling among the representatives is that the Renewable Portfolio Standard should not include nuclear and clean coal. However, as the weeks go on, what seemed to be a certainty of the 20 percent goal is now looking like it could be less. “If there is going to be a compromise, it could be setting the goal at 15 percent to meet the Senate’s bill without nuclear and coal,” says an anonymous source.
“I totally agree that RPS should be without nuclear and clean coal. Solar should be a part of the future,” claims Rep. Reagan (R-Sarasota). When asked about his support of nuclear energy he responded, “I don’t know why we haven’t been building nuclear plants all along. We need to streamline the permit process. It shouldn’t take 54 months to get a permit for a nuclear plant. We need an entire energy package that makes sense. A comprehensive energy package that includes drilling off the coast, solar, biomass and nuclear if it will get us off of our foreign oil dependency.”
When asked about a popular program called feed-in tariffs (FITs) where the utility companies, like Florida Power & Light, are required to buy back energy generated from individuals who have installed solar panels on their home, business, or farms at a higher rate than what they charge, he responded: “FITs are not the answer. I can’t imagine asking my constituents to pay for someone else to make a profit.” Rep. Reagan is referring to an increase in the monthly energy bill for each customer that will help offset the cost of the program.
An FIT program is already in place in Gainesville, where the people voted to accept the rate increase in order to promote renewable energy. Currently, the rate spike amounts to 72 cents per month, a far cry from the monthly rate of $15 paid by Progress Energy customers for the Early Cost Recovery program for future construction of nuclear plants. The legislature and utility companies, like FP&L and Progress Energy, did not ask their customers about paying an additional cost for the nuclear power plants when they started the program. Customers are required to pay for nuclear power plants that are in the planning stages and the program leaves open the opportunity for rate hikes long before the utility companies break ground.
What seems to be missing from the mindset of our legislature is that the people want to do what is right. When you ask the individual person about what they want to see come out of the House and the Senate, they will tell you they want a bill that will meet Governor Crist’s goal of 20 percent renewable energy because it would allow not only the opportunity for growth of the state’s energy resources, like solar energy, but also the opportunity that renewable energy offers, like jobs and industry along with the ability to fight global warming.
Since no one seems to be asking the people, it seems that it is up to the people of this state to put a little time in and let your representative and senator know what it is that you want. How serious are you about renewable energy? Are the senators right in allowing nuclear energy and “clean coal” to be a part of the RPS? Is Rep. Reagan right about nuclear power and the FIT program? Will you be okay with a lesser percentage of renwable energy in order to meet Governor Crist’s goals? What will you be able to say when your bill for energy comes in? Is it what you wanted?
To contact your tepresentative: The Florida House To contact your Senator: The Florida Senate.
To learn more about Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), go to Floridians For Clean Energy.
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