At a recent conference, renewable energy finds an audience with our leaders even after the session is over
May 21st, 2009 by Susan Nilon in News, Politics, Sarasota-Manatee
Florida Renewable Energy Producers Association (FREPA) sponsored a seminar in Sarasota this past Thursday and Friday to talk about the impact that this past legislative session had on Florida’s green economy. Centered on how business in Florida is developing an edge by adapting renewable energy technologies into thier business plan, FREPA supported its efforts by including guest speakers like Susan Glickman, consultant for NRDC, and local politicians — Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, Rep. Doug Holder and Sen. Nancy Detert — to provide legislative insight. A variety of interested representatives of Florida Public Utilities, Mote Marine Laboratory, Ethnergy International and E3 Design Group and Building Service attended the seminar. Environmental groups like The Florida Alliance for a Clean Environment and the Sierra Club also showed up.
“My job is to help my company stay ahead of the curve and prepare for the future,” declared Joe Eysie from Florida Public Utilities as Rep. Fitzgerald and Rep. Holder talked about where they think the state is heading in it’s pursuit of energy. Both representatives were in agreement that Sarasota would be a prime candidate for a pilot program to demonstrate how successful a Feed-In Tariff program could be. While not at all like Gainesville in the sense that we do not have a muncipal utility to work with, Rep. Fitzgerald pointed out that Sarasota publicly supports efforts to become more energy efficient and keep our committment to be a “green city.” He spoke with confidence that Florida Power and Light (FPL) would be willing to explore the idea.
Rep. Holder spoke of the invoative ways to produce energy we are now exploring. From the man who started in his garage making bio-fuel and is now producing it in his warehouse, to a company that is working on bio-fuel from algae up in Tampa, Rep. Holder spoke enthusatically about the future of the energy industry.
There were a few moments that became heated Friday morning as some of the attendees focused on the Florida legislators’ lack of effort this past session on energy. Sen. Nancy Detert held them off by stating that she was at the conference to learn all she can about renewable energy. “I want to learn as much as possible,” Detert declared, “so I can represent you in Tallahassee the way you need me to.”
Michele Mician, the Chair of the Environmental Task Force for the City of Sarasota, gave a very good presentation on where the city of Sarasota is heading in it’s efforts to live up to its green reputation. Conservation and efficiency is the direction that she wants the city to move toward. Her power point presentation can be viewed online at: sarasotagov.com.
Michael Dobson, President of FREPA, announced plans to hold more conferences like this one over the upcoming months in several locations throughout Florida. Meeting the needs of its members, “FREPA will be continuing its efforts to serve as a unified voice for the producers of renewable energy and promote the development of a comprehensive renewable energy policy for the state.”
For further information about future conferences, you can go to Florida Renewable Energy Producers Associations.
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