Public Power - January/February 2008 - (Page 26) Got Coal? No, Thanks, Says Florida Governor BY BARRY MOLINE Florida Governor Charlie Crist was elected in November 2006, no one could have guessed how many bold ideas for change he was considering. The electric utility industry paid little attention at first as the governor attacked serious concerns facing Floridians. There were large insurance rate increases and policy cancellations resulting from recent hurricanes, and a sluggish housing market due in part to an obsolete property tax system. For electric utilities accustomed to working under the radar, however, it was business as usual. Then came the veto. The 2007 Legislature passed an energy bill that addressed important issues and was considered a good step forward. It called for state-funded rebates for solar energy, expansion of the farm-to-fuel biomass program, and directed the Florida Public Service Commission to develop a renewable portfolio standard and recommend it back to the Legislature for consideration in 2008. 26 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2008 When To everyone’s surprise, Gov. Crist vetoed the legislation, saying the bill did not go far enough. However, at the time no one imagined that he was unhappy with it. The bill passed by the House and Senate seemed progressive, and there was little opposition. In its stead, the governor issued three executive orders that put electric utilities in a quandary. The first executive order required state government operations to cut energy consumption in existing and new buildings, and add alternative-fueled vehicles to the fleet in a big way. The second order took aim at electric utilities. It directed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to require significant cuts statewide in greenhouse gas emissions: in 2017 down to 2000 levels; by 2025 down to 1990 levels, and by 2050, 80 percent below 1990 levels. It seemed as if there was a competition among states – with California in particular – as to who could propose the most aggres- sive greenhouse gas cutbacks. The order also required the Public Service Commission to tackle two renewable energy issues: 1) develop statewide net metering and interconnection standards for renewable projects, and 2) develop a renewable portfolio standard with a goal of 20 percent with a focus on solar and wind. The third order established the “Governor’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change,” a group of individuals from a cross-section of the energy-producing, consuming, environmental and academic sectors tasked with developing recommendations for the Legislature to consider in 2008. Their first set of recommendations is posted at www.dep.state.fl.us/climatechange. One utility representative serves on the 23-member panel, Florida Power and Light CEO Armando Olivera. There was more. At about the same time, the governor used his legal authority and bully pulpit to effectively cancel all five of Florida’s proposed large coal-plant PUBLIC POWER http://www.dep.state.fl.us/climatechange http://www.dep.state.fl.us/climatechange
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