Legislature drops ball on Crist's renewable energy, vehicle emission goals

Bills in the Florida House and Senate to promote renewable energy and cut back vehicle emissions sputtered and died on the final day of the regular legislative session Friday -- even though Gov. Charlie Crist backed them.

"Crist got the ball rolling in 2007 with a series of executive orders that called on Florida to reduce its greenhouse emissions and to generate up to 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020..." the St. Petersburg Times noted in an editorial last week. "Crist and environmental advocates even pushed the state's Public Service Commission to raise its targets for renewable energy in an effort to have the Legislature pass an energy bill this year."

But it didn't happen. Senate Bill 1154 passed the Senate but never got out of committee in the House. Meanwhile SB 1994 and HB 1309, which would ratify a Crist initiative to adopt California's tougher vehicle emissions standards, never even made it out of committee in the Senate. They suffered the same fate as House Bill 1317, which would have made it more cost-effective for individual property owners to install solar-power equipment.

All of those bills, noted the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "were held hostage by House leaders intent on pursuing oil drilling in state waters near the west coast of Florida." But their pro-drilling bill, HB 1219, went nowhere too, thanks to opposition by Crist and Senate leaders.

"After a year of Public Service Commission hearings and countless committee meetings on the subject, Florida will have to wait another year before taking up energy policies that will encourage more renewables and less consumption of fossil fuels," noted Audubon of Florida.

--Craig Pittman

[St. Pete Times photo by Scott Keeler: Gov. Charlie Crist gives his State of the State speech while House Speaker Larry Cretful listens]

Comments

[Ronnie]

Thank god! More renewables = more money out or our pockets. This is really good news.

[Tino]

Gotta agree with you there Ronnie.

I don't have a problem with the state making it easier for companies to build renewable projects (streamlined permitting and licensing process, etc), but doubling our electricity prices to pay for it is a bit extreme.

[George]

Hey,

The legislature missed a BIG opportunity to lower our bills over the long term through renewables!

Traditonal power has increased bills to Florida familes by over 50% since 2000. Renewables have stable or no fuel costs at all - thereby insulating families from power plant price spikes!

by the way, "Tino" is a utility guy.

[Kevin]

Renewable energy developers invest in states with renewable energy targets. Since FL didn't pass one - we're out of luck! With renewable energy investment comes new high-paying jobs.

Not comforting news to the more than 800,000 unemplyed Floridians. The House should be ashamed for sitting on its hands in light of the struggling FL economy and the need for jobs in the Florida workforce.

But then, what do you expect from a bunch of conservative idealogues, but politics as usual....

[george]

Just an fyi, "Tino" is a utility industry plant.

The utility mantra is to scare folks about cost, when in-fact, it traditional power plants that have driven up utility bills by over 50% since 2000.

Why would they want renewables when they get a 12% return on building inefficient power plants?

[paminator]

George- "...inefficient power plants?"

Just how do you figure existing power plants are inefficient? Compared to renewables? Lets see some numbers to back up your claim.

As to price spikes being averted by renewables, ask Spain and CA about that. You'll find this claim is complete bull.

And don't bother claiming I'm a utility plant. I've already been accused of working for Progress Energy, and my employer is pressuring me to make comments here during work hours. Its the usual messenger attack when you have nothing else to say.

[commonsense]

renewables like solar and wind need backup power. Availability of solar in Florida is about 25% and that's streching it. thus you still have to have backup power. Not to mention a so called solar plant capitol cost per kwh is astronomical. let the market dictae whats best for customers.

[Chris]

As a contractor licensed to install solar water heating systems and solar PV systems in residential homes and on commercial properties, I would like to openly thank our Legislature for single-handedly destroying my confidence in this sorry government we have.

I am a Republican who works hard, and has all my life and I am truly disgusted. I could probably employ 10-15 more people if an RPS was passed, or a feed-in tariff was also passed.

Especially rich is the fact that not a single House member demanded that at least a hearing be held on a bill!!!

I realize that I cannot compete with Shell or Exxon, but at the very least not even getting a hearing on the PSC bill on renewable energy?

[Solar Power Business]

Thanks for this good post.......

[Tino]

Most people do not get it at all. Energy is an economic input. The lower it costs, the better it is for society as a whole. People have a higher standard of living when energy prices are low, as they can spend money on other pursuits.

The statement that "renewables create more jobs" is backwards logic. There are people actually talking about cutting down trees and burning them for more expensive "renewable biomass power", sending us 75 years into the past.

If you want to create jobs, that's great. But forcing people to pay 100-1,000% more for equivalent power because it seeks to make some social statement is ridiculous.

george, if you think 50% over a decade is a huge jump, you will love the increases you are about to witness.