On renewable energy, inaction isn't an option

This appeared in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, Sunday Feb. 28th, 2010  

Kelly Kirschner is vice mayor of the city of Sarasota.

In 2008 under the leadership of Gov. Charlie Crist, then- House Speaker Marco Rubio and then-Senate President Ken Pruitt, Florida passed an energy bill that for the first time created a mechanism to encourage utilities to dip their foot into legitimate renewable energy production. Because of this legislation, Florida catapulted into a leading position nationally on solar energy production. Florida now has, in DeSoto County, the country's largest solar photovoltaic installation. When two more solar plants are completed in Martin County and Cape Canaveral, Florida will be the second-largest solar producing state in the nation. Most of us who have lived here for an appreciable length of time rightly assume this should be a given. After all, we are the Sunshine State.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. The 2008 bill only allowed for a fixed, one-time investment by utility companies. The State Solar Energy System Incentives Program, which has paid out over $25 million since 2006 in direct rebates to consumers who installed solar energy systems at their homes or commercial buildings, is set to expire this year, with no identified funding source to continue its existence. Last spring's legislative session came close to adopting a Renewable Portfolio Standard, which would have kept the renewable momentum going, requiring utilities to generate 20 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by the year 2020. Unfortunately, close does not count, nor does it help our battered economy or our thousands of unemployed.

Illusion or reality?

As a result, the much talked about "green economy," based on aggressive research, development and deployment of renewable energy, is an illusion unless there is a concerted effort made by our Legislature and governor this spring to put in place market-based mechanisms that pull this into reality. Failure to act means that areas in the world with much less potential for solar energy capture -- including Germany, Canada and China -- will secure the primary bulwarks of this new economy and we will eventually be consumers of their new products. China has leapfrogged the United States in the last two years to emerge as the world's largest manufacturer of solar panels.

Ceding the enormous renewable energy market to China and elsewhere would be a catastrophic economic mistake that continues our multi-decade slide toward being nothing more than a consumption-driven economy.

To continue reading, click on link to go the Sarasota Herald Tribune

What can we expect from our utility company? - 37th Annual PURC Conference

Who is your utility company?  Do you know if they are a public or private company?  Publicly owned utilities include cooperative and municipal utilities and are owned by the customers they serve. Only a small percentage of Floridians are a part of a utility that is publicly owned.  However the rest of us are serviced by private utilities, also called investor owned utilities (IOU's).  These private companies are owned by investors and can be found on the Stock Exchange.

The question is, "What does that mean to you?" 

Well, if all you expect out of your utility company is consistency of service and a bill for that service each month, then the definitions might not matter.  But if you expect for your utility to recognize you as an important part of their business plan, then the definitions will make a difference.

Can we expect more out of our utility? 

I recently attended the 37th Annual Public Utility Research Center (PURC) conference in Gainesville, Florida where I asked the question, "Where does the will of the people fit into the business decisions that are made by the utilities?"  I went on to say that the public is increasingly asking for more out of their utility company.  No longer is the customer apt to sit by and think that they have no say in the future of their utilities other than expectation of service.  Social and environmental responsibilities are being placed on the list of what is important to the customer.  I explained that climate change and jobs are now just as important to the public as continued service and low utility bills.  The reaction that I received from one of the participants was a little disconcerting. I was chastised for asking the utilities to consider "jobs" as a part of their  business model.  The gentleman went on to advise the utilities to recognize that if "jobs" where a part of their consideration when making choices for the future, then he implied they weren't doing their job.

The truth is, I didn't have any expectations of the utilities considering the employment of Floridians when it comes to developing new projects within the state.  I realize that their main obligation is to service their customers in the most efficient way possible.   In addition, for the private utilities: to make a profit for their investors. My intention was to point out that if the focus on renewable energy became a key factor in the development of their business model, than the public would be more apt to support future energy projects due to the side benefits of job and industry creation along with creating alternatives to battle climate change and the issues of our national security.  

The Public Service Commission (PSC) just recently made a decision on the rate hike that was proposed by Florida Power & Light (FPL).  While it did grant FPL a rate hike of their base rate, it was not a near to what FPL had asked for.  The reason that they gave was, although they felt that FPL should be able to increase the base rate, tough economic times should be bared by all.

"The state’s largest utility has said it needs to increase rates so it can afford to pay for upgrades of its infrastructure and “to address the deterioration in earnings that will take place during 2010” based on its projections of a down economy. "

 “As one reaches farther into the future, predictions and projections of future economic conditions become less certain and more subject to the vagaries of changing variables.” - South Florida Business Journal

Just like their customers, tightening their belt and finding other ways to cut their costs should be considered by the utility before asking the customer take on further financial responsibilities. This decision came after the PSC voted down a rate hike proposed by Progress Energy (IOU) and after an strong outcry of public dissent.

"FPL President Armando Olivera said the Juno Beach-based utility, Florida's largest, will immediately cease modernization efforts at its Riviera Beach and Cape Canaveral plants and halt work on a new nuclear plant that would have put 20,000 workers on the job this year." - Palm Beach Post

Does the argument of FPL's President Olivera ring true with the public?  If it did, why did the public not rally around the rate hike with the understanding that FPL was ready to put 20,000 workers on the job when our state is at an all time high for unemployment? Could it be that the public is tired of feeling like a pawn when it comes to the needs of their utility company?

FPL has been a leader in this state when it comes to renewable energy.  Nationally, FPL will be the second largest solar state in the nation with DeSoto County's solar field and the completion of two additional plants in Martin County and Cape Canaveral. On FPL's website, they boast, "In addition to the environmental benefits to the community, DeSoto County will receive more than $2 million in additional property tax through the end of 2010. Also, 400 jobs were created during the construction of the plant." - FPL .  If the criticism of my questions at the PURC conference is true, using the public's desire of renewable energy and job creation as a marketing tool to show their corporate responsibility leaves one to question how sincere they are.  

In the case of renewable energy, even more noteworthy is Gainesville's municipal utility - Gainesville Regional Utility (GRU), who has not only embraced renewable energy, but has also developed a Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program where their customers can participate in the generation of energy for a profit.  Their customers are continually shouting the praises of their publicly owned utility and feel very much a part of the future when it comes to the importance of energy. Support in GRU's future is glowing.

Throughout the summer of 2009, the PSC held public hearings to find out where the public stood on FPL's request for a rate hike. Would it have made a difference to the PSC if the public found the reasons for the rate hike something they could get behind?  How much influence do we really have when it comes to our electric company?  If the gentleman at the PURC conference was right and the utilities should only be worried about the bottom line, then we are just pawns being played in a game.  But if he is wrong, they we are heading in the right direction.  The more the public demands the corporations to become more responsible to the will of the people, the more we can find solutions to our problems.  Because I believe that regardless of the fact that we don't have a choice when it comes to who we get our electric from, we do have the power to influence how they run their company.

This Saturday, Feb13th - Show your love by protecting our coastline from off-shore drilling.

This Saturday, all around the coast of Florida, thousands of people will gather at their area beaches to show how important it is to protect our coastline.  Hands Across The Sand is a grass roots organization formed only a few short months ago when it was realized how real the possibility of off-shore oil drilling is to Florida's future.

In 2009, the Florida House of Representatives voted on a last minute bill that would allow our coastline to be leased out to oil companies for the possibility of drilling for oil.  The demise of the bill was only when the Florida Senate said that there was not enough time to do a full discovery and therefor decided not to bring it up for a vote.   But the House vote was enough to send shock waves  to the citizens of Florida to alert them to the seriousness of drilling off our coast.

On a federal level, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) is pushing for drilling off the coast of Florida to be put into the Federal Energy bill that will be brought forth in the Senate.  And since he has become an important vote for an energy bill to pass, he just might get his wish.

The real question you must ask yourself is this: "Why is it so important to protest the drilling off our coast, if there is a good chance that the federal government will legislate it anyway?"   The answer is this: If we give away our rights to our coastline, we will have no seat at the table when it comes to fighting off-shore drilling in the federal waters.  You will hear, "The people in Florida support it off their coast, what is the problem?"

But the problem is that no one really believes that there is enough oil to be obtained off of the Florida coast to sustain us. The real find is in the federal waters.   Breaking down the politics and the people of Florida is just the first step in obtaining leases in deeper waters.  What we sacrifice is what the oil companies will do in the meantime to our coastal regions.  Exploration alone can do enough damage to our waters that will in turn take decades to repair.

  Oil exploration doesn't have to get to the point of drilling the well to do damage, because even the mapping of rock formations--which would probably occur prior to leasing--requires use of explosives-level seismic air guns. What's that mean? Here's a description from the Canadian group, Oil Free Coast:

This deafening noise causes fish swim bladders to explode, it kills marine larvae and disrupts the traditional migratory paths of some fish species and marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins. In some places, these disturbances have resulted in reductions in commercial fish catches up to 50 percent, and have caused whales to leave waters where they are habitually found. - Florida Vacationers and off-shore drilling 

 This is the concern for the citizens of Florida.  The people of Hands Across the Sand want our nation to know that they will not sit idlely by and allow our coastline to be sacrificed to the Oil Companies.  Drilling for oil uis not the answer to our energy problems.  It is also not the answer to our national safety.  We want our voices to be heard, not only within the Florida Legislature, but also within the federal government.  This is not a ploitical movement to chose party sides.  This is a Florida movement to protect our coastline.

This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our shoreline, our tourism, our valuable properties and our way of life. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting our waterways and beaches from the devastating effects of oil drilling.- Hands Across The Sand

 It is important that we not take for granted that the battle has been put off for another day.  The Oil companies have been working on this for years. They have invested a lot in this movement. All the Florida Senate did was ask for more time to study the bill.  There is nothing that says it won't be back this legislative session.  We cannot sit back and wait for someone else to do the job for us.  Our voices need to be heard by everyone.

So this Saturday, as you are running around picking up your last minute Valentine's Day Gifts, stop by your local beach  and show your love for our coastline.  You can find the nearest event on their website.  And for those of you in Tallahassee, don't fret - there's an event there for you too!


Remember, battles are not one at the last minute.  Every step is important.

Click here to find your nearest location: Hands Across the Sand - Key Beaches

Additional information on Oil Exploration: Underwater Exploitation