NY Times - U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels

Ok, so this article isn't Miami.  Not even Florida, but important to us none-the-less.

Fuel supply convoys have been the Achilles heel of our military operations since the first Gulf War.  The Defense Department knows this, which is why they are sinking tons of money into refining mobile renewable energy solutions including solar backpacks, tents, and other off-grid equipment.  The Army actually pioneered an electric HUMVEE that outperformed the diesel version.  Each wheel had an electric motor providing intense torque and silent operation.  Pretty cool stuff.

The latest attack on fuel convoys makes finding ways to make our troops less vulnerable and protect these poor guys who have to drive these bombs on wheels all the more critical.

New York Times

By Elisabeth Rosenthal, October 4, 2010

With insurgents increasingly attacking the American fuel supply convoys that lumber across the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan, the military is pushing aggressively to develop, test and deploy renewable energy to decrease its need to transport fossil fuels.

Last week, a Marine company from California arrived in the rugged outback of Helmand Province bearing novel equipment: portable solar panels that fold up into boxes; energy-conserving lights; solar tent shields that provide shade and electricity; solar chargers for computers and communications equipment.

The 150 Marines of Company I, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, will be the first to take renewable technology into a battle zone, where the new equipment will replace diesel and kerosene-based fuels that would ordinarily generate power to run their encampment.

Even as Congress has struggled unsuccessfully to pass an energy bill and many states have put renewable energy on hold because of the recession, the military this year has pushed rapidly forward. After a decade of waging wars in remote corners of the globe where fuel is not readily available, senior commanders have come to see overdependence on fossil fuel as a big liability, and renewable technologies — which have become more reliable and less expensive over the past few years — as providing a potential answer. These new types of renewable energy now account for only a small percentage of the power used by the armed forces, but military leaders plan to rapidly expand their use over the next decade.

read more

Governor, House "leadership" food-fight over energy efficiency and solar rebates

The following appeared in the Miami Herald yesterday and I can't believe how insane our legislative leadership is. The Senate "budget chief" JD Alexander clearly talks out of his butt on a regular basis.  He is quoted as saying that solar panels take "as much energy to make a solar panel as it likely generates in its entire life" which is the biggest pile of crap ever blurted out of someone's uninformed mouth in a very long time.

Energy rebates stalled amid tiff between Crist, lawmakers

 There was plenty of heat over lawmakers' refusal to consider Gov. Crist's pitch to make Florida eligible for $31.5 million in energy rebates.

BY LEE LOGAN, Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE -- Payments for two popular green energy rebate programs are stalled because of a high-profile budget disagreement between Gov. Charlie Crist and the Legislature.


Florida is in line for $31.5 million in federal stimulus money for the 2006 solar rebate program and a new program that helps people modernize their air conditioners.


Crist had asked a special legislative commission to authorize the funding as it made adjustments to the state budget Wednesday. But lawmakers ignored the request, arguing that only the full Legislature, not the budget commission, could authorize the money.


``Florida has already received federal approval to use the funds,'' Crist said Tuesday in a letter to House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater. ``I continue to encourage you to act quickly so that these funds can begin flowing into Florida's marketplace.''


Crist said $13.9 million is available for the popular solar rebate program, which ran out of money because of tight budgets and owes Floridians $52.7 million in unpaid rebates.


Crist asked for money in this year's budget to reduce the backlog, but the lawmakers ``affirmatively declined'' the request, said Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales. He argues the program rewards rich people who can afford to buy solar systems. ``It takes as much energy to make a solar panel as it likely generates in its entire life,'' Alexander said. ``I really doubt that this is a good investment for the people of Florida.''

Read more

From Grist online mag: Florida governor’s race: Sink vs. Scott

by Jonathan Hiskes, September 9th, 2010

Florida governor candidate Rick Scott is largely an enigma on energy and environmental issues. The hospital-chain executive, who eked out a surprise win over an establishment candidate in the Republican primary, has no record in public office to evaluate. His website's environment page consists of terse pledges to protect beaches and the Everglades. He hasn't been bringing up environmental issues on the campaign trail. When a reporter asked him about the scientific consensus on climate change, he said, "I have not been convinced," and was unsure what further evidence could convince him.


Scott would seem to be more certain on one issue: his support for offshore drilling. "It's a naïve, knee-jerk reaction to call for a ban on drilling," he says on his website in response to the Deepwater Horizon blowout that sent oil washing up on Florida Panhandle shores.

Yet Scott has backed off on this position too, saying in July, "We are not going to drill now. It's not safe. It doesn't make any sense ... [but] if we figure out some day that it's safe I think we ought to look at it.''

His opponent, Democratic state treasurer Alex Sink, has revealed more of her cards. She came out strongly opposed to offshore drilling when Republican lawmakers proposed opening state waters last year. She has released a detailed clean-energy plan centered on promoting efficiency, entrepreneurship, and partnerships between businesses and the state's universities.

"Right now, Florida's lack of a clear vision and a consistent energy policy is costing Floridians good jobs -- that ends when I am governor," she said in a news release.

So far, environmental issues haven't gotten much attention in Florida's jobs-focused gubernatorial race, despite the state's vulnerability to climate change and its largely untapped renewable-energy potential. Florida is particularly susceptible to sea-level rise, saltwater encroaching on its water supply, and hurricanes and tropical storms of increased intensity. And the Sunshine State would seem to be a natural hotspot for solar installations, yet it generates less solar electricity than New Jersey (even Massachusetts and Connecticut outperform it on a per-capita basis).

That's not for lack of effort from departing Gov. Charlie Crist, who became an unlikely climate leader, enacting a climate plan in 2007 and joining fellow Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger in organizing state-level action during the Bush years. But Florida's legislature prevented him from taking important steps, like implementing a renewable energy standard -- something 27 other states have used to attract cleantech businesses.

A renewable standard "is the holy grail of the [Florida] environmental community, something they've been working on for years," said Adam Rivera of Environment Florida. Sink supports one, while Scott hasn't made his position clear.

Florida's popular solar rebate program has a $40 million, 15,000-application backlog, and whether the next governor refuels it will be an early signal of his or her priorities, Rivera said.

The state also enacted a law last year that discouraged sprawl by making it easier for developers to build in dense urban areas. But a judge ruled it unconstitutional last month, and it could take leadership from the governor's office to pass a new version next year. [Update: A Florida commenter says the law wasn't clearly "anti-sprawl." While encouraged urban infill, it also made exurban growth easier; it's been called a sop to developers in response to the building-industry collapse.]

And, of course, Florida wields huge influence in national debates as a swing state and one poised to gain congressional seats in the upcoming redistricting process -- which the governor will oversee.

So it's worth knowing where the candidates stand on green issues, even if they aren't bringing them up.

Read the rest on Grist

Only UF makes Sierra "Cool Schools" list

Sad but expected.  Only the University of Florida seemed to even respond to the Sierra Club environmental performance survey and even then were near the bottom of the pile - #84 of 100.

FIU, UM, how come you didn't try to make the list?  There's a good push at both schools to remake their image as "green" universities.  Hopefully they'll buck up and try to make the list next year.

A telling comment from someone else (not me) on the University of Central Florida - home to the nationally recognized Solar Energy Center - says:
 

...the conservation efforts of the students for a whole year are simply blown away by "Light up UCF" a light show for 50 nights from November 20 through January 8 with Ice Skating (in Florida), Ferris Wheel, Carousel, Ice Slide, Santa's Workshop, Free Holiday Movie Screenings, etc. They invite the whole state in and provide free parking. Thanks to the rest of the country for taking global warming and the attendant sea level rise seriously. Here in the most vulnerable state, a peninsula sticking out into the slowly rising ocean, we do not seem to care enough to even dim our lights.

 
 To view which schools DID make the cut, go to Cool Schools

St. Pete Times: State owes Floridians $52.7 M in unpaid solar rebates

This is how you kill an industry, promise something and then reneg.  Such behavior - by the State and from less than honest installers - will shred credibility and make everyone in the business seem to be a shyster.  Shame on the State for consistently underfunding the program and knowingly letting it get this out-of-control.

______________________

By Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, August 3, 201

 
The state owes Floridians $52.7 million in unpaid solar energy rebates and has no immediate plan to honor its financial promise. More than 15,800 people await the rebates, which were dangled before homeowners and businesses to encourage greater investment in solar energy technologies such as solar-power water heaters and electric systems. The state's new fiscal year, which started in July, marks the second consecutive year that the Florida Legislature has refused to fund the popular program. Some people have been on the waiting list for years, said Travis Yelverton, deputy director of the Governor's Energy Office.

read the rest of the article here

Alex Sink unveils renewable energy plan in Miami

Alex Sink paid a visit to local solar products distributor, Sun Electronics, this last week to announce her energy strategy for Florida.  Not surprisingly based on the backdrop of a warehouse full of solar panels, her plan calls for a serious push into renewables and to open the grid to homes and commercial establishments.

For too long, mega-utilities have dominated the "market" for solar, wind, etc by making it difficult to connect to the grid, insisting on outrageous insurance riders, and sucking the oxygen out of renewables by latching their massively subsidized nuclear ambitions onto the tiny little toe-hold that solar, wind, biomass, and efficiency have in the energy mix.

The gubernatorial hopeful sees the struggling solar industry as a gateway to new Florida jobs and a clean/green tech hope for a diversified economy too heavily dependent on tourism, agriculture, and other lower wage jobs.

I've read a number of comments attached to the story in the Miami Herald and the Tampa Tribune (same story by Mary Ellen Klass ran in both papers) that attack solar as being "too expensive" and the usual nonesense about it "only working when the sun is out" by the usual know-nothings.  What CFO Sink calls for is a smart suite of policies that will encourage the growth of an industry that is absolutely exploding throughout the rest of the world.  Even within the US, Florida is competing with California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Tennessee, and about a half-dozen other states that are all vying to be the economic center of the new green energy economy.  South Florida cities and counties are already jockeying to compete for these naescent industries, but the State has been the biggest impediment.  With better policies - like adopting legislation enacting the solar property tax protection amendment to the state constitution, an agressive RPS that the formerly Republican Governor and the State PSC called for, fully funding the rebate program through a tiny public benefit trust fund, and tax credits for expansion and relocation for solar and wind manufacturing firms - we'd have a chance to compete.

Read more
Story in the Miami Herald


Blog post on Naked Politics

Feds screw up local innovation - PACE on hold throughout the country

I've tried to keep this blog confined to city, county, and state solar news, but I can't keep quiet about the infuriating stupidity coming out of Washington DC these days.

The mortgage Goliath Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have taken a very serious swipe at the David of solar financing - PACE.  The newly hatched plan by local governments to use their taxing authority to come up with clever ways to break through the "first cost" barrier for energy efficiency and small scale solar, wind, geo, etc. was dealt a huge blow back in March when Fannie/Freddie announced that they wouldn't buy any mortgage with a PACE lien on it.

This is an extraordinary over-reach into the taxing authority of local governments.  Basically, the mortgage giants are determining which government taxes they believe are worthy and which aren't.  It really isn't that simple, but it is potentially precedent setting.  Fannie/Freddie don't like this tax lien "cutting in line" in front of the mortgage repayment in case of default.  That would be fine if PACE were truly a traditional loan instrument, but it isn't.  It behaves like a taxing district like a storm-water, garbage collection or street lighting improvement district.  The improvement is passed along with the property instead of having to be paid off upon sale of the property.

Having Fannie/Freddie dis PACE like this had an immediate chilling effect on these programs everywhere.  Boulder backed out of their next bond issue and returned deposits to people, San Francisco just launched and then aborted their PACE program.

Other PACE programs in the works, including local governments here have been waiting for the promised "clarification" from the mortgage backer's regulatory parent - Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) - but were shocked when the agency made a bigger mess of things with their letter.

Most people in the business see the FHFA letter as the final blow to an administrative fix and now believe the only way to fix this once and for all is to seek a legislative remedy - Congress.  That should be quick and easy right?

The Department of Energy - a backer and early proponent of the widespread implementation of PACE - now is telling block grant recipients that were using those funds for PACE start-up to rethink that strategy.

All is not lost though.  The PACE concept is readily accepted by both political parties, so it actually has a shot in Congress unless it gets stuck to a more controversial bill.  And FHFA doesn't touch the commercial market, so PACE could still be used to help improve office parks, industrial buildings and other non-residential properties.  This isn't the major focus of PACE, but could keep it alive long enough to show that it is a successful model for the rapid deployment of efficiency and small scale renewables.

Enough ranting for now - next time I hope to have information about local plans to deal with this mess.

Related articles:

New York Times, July 3rd -Loan Giants Opt to Block Energy Programs

Grist, July 6th -Fannie and Freddie to clean-energy program: Drop dead
Environmental Leader, July 7th - Fannie, Freddie Kill PACE Program

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Gov. Crist signs PACE bill

Good news for solar and other small scale renewable energy - Governor Crist signed the Property Assessed Clean Energy bill yesterday.  The issue wasn't really in doubt with significant bipartisan support from the Florida Legislature (as rare as a spotted owl nowadays) and with no notable opposition.  Repubs like it because its a "voluntary tax" - the only type they tend to support. And Dems like it because of the blue-collar job creation implications.

Everyone else likes it because it makes sense.

There's drips of news out there on this, but I found a News Release from the Florida CFO (running for Governor herself) on the matter:

CFO Sink Commends Governor Crist for Signing Energy Efficiency Legislation

Gov. Charlie Crist weighs bill to help cities go green

Gov. Crist is reviewing a bill passed by the Legislature last month that would help establish a `green corridor' PACE program among several South Florida cities. The measure would allow the communities to purchase clean energy systems for residents' homes

BY HOWARD COHEN

Going green could extend to consumers' wallets if Cutler Bay Mayor Paul Vrooman's plan passes muster with the governor.

The program Vrooman has championed, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), enables property owners to borrow money to buy solar panels, wind generators, insulation or shutters for their homes with little upfront expense.

The program would establish a municipal ``green corridor,'' consisting of Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami and Coral Gables. The five cities would lend money for a homeowner to install a proven energy-saving device -- say, $30,000 in solar panels or $3,000 for solar plumbing.
In return, the cities would place a lien on the home until the loan was paid off by the homeowner, who would be assessed a monthly fee for the loan's duration.

Link to the rest of the Miami Herald story

------------------------

Well, there's a bunch the Herald got right and a bunch they totally munched with this story.  I know there's a drive to make all stories have a local angle, and there's a good one with what the cities in the southern part of  Miami-Dade are trying to do, but it isn't everything.  PACE is an umbrella name for using tax-bill financing to get around tight credit markets and the uncertainty of investing in something that may take longer to "pay back" than the homeowner may actually live there.  With Floridians notorious for uprooting themselves every half-dozen years, it is exceedingly difficult to get the average joe-homeowner to invest in their property beyond the granite countertop or whatever Realtor friendly improvement will immediately bump resale value.  So PACE is a tool to get past that since you don't have to settle the debt like you would with a second mortgage or other "traditional" financing vehicle.

Where the Herald totally goofed was mixing the "green corridor" idea with PACE.  The former is a way for small cities like Cutler Bay and its neighbors to bring enough volunteers together for the issuance of debt to start the latter.  That's it.

The County is also pursuing this.  I think there's a report out from the Mayor in response to a Commission directive to come up with a set of options on how to pursue a PACE program for those of us living in the unincorporated area and maybe even the cities.  I'll see if I can find it and will post that here as well.

Update: here's the link to the report.  Summary: County administration thinks PACE is a great idea but they want to bring in a company to do most of the work because of they're cutting budgets and jobs and they don't have the people to manage the program.

  

 

South Florida Business Journal: Florida’s popular solar rebate program may fade into the sunset

One step forward and two steps back.  Florida was close to catching up with the rest of the States that have been competing for new green solar energy jobs through tax incentives and through a mash of local programs.  The most effective tool in Florida's kit was the creation of the solar energy rebate program four years ago.  The program provided rebates worth about half of the installed cost of solar photovoltaic systems for homes and businesses and a token $500 rebate for solar thermal heating systems.

But, as usual, the Florida Legislature wouldn't let a good program last, and they neglected to put any funds into the program this year, leaving thousands of Floridians who already installed systems and awaiting rebates in the lurch.  The program would have probably died last year if the Governor and the Florida Energy Office hadn't squirreled away $10 million in Federal stimulus funds for the program.

What's really needed is a public benefits fund - a trust fund of sorts (protected better than the State operated trust fund) - that would be used to fund PV and solar thermal rebates for residents and small business installations.  It could fund testing and permit streamlining efforts and more.  Instead we have a push for offshore oil drilling only on hold long enough for our collective memories of the Deepwater Horizon to fade, massive subsidies for nuclear power, and legislators inserting language calling synthetic gas made from coal ash "renewable."

The following piece about the loss of the rebate program and the budding businesses that will probably be crushed by its demise appeared in the South Florida Business Journal - and NOWHERE ELSE.  Thanks to our local papers for missing this story entirely.  I guess they were too busy running "Earth Day" advertising from FPL as "news."

After four years of successfully spurring investment in solar energy, Florida’s solar rebate program is facing its final sunset.
The popular program, which paid homeowners up to $20,000 and businesses up to $100,000 for installing electricity-producing solar photovoltaic systems, is another victim of Florida’s budget crunch.

Read the rest at South Florida Business Journal

Tax bill financing for efficiency and renewables passes Fla Legislature

A bill making it OK for local government to set up tax bill financing of small scale solar, wind, efficiency, and even hurricane hardening, passed the Legislature on the last day of the session.  The Senate took up HB 7179 passed earlier in the week in the House and passed the bill to allow local governments to create a volunteer program for homeowners and businesses to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements.

The concept, first started in Berkeley California, is pretty simple.  Most people cannot make a huge investment in major renewable energy systems in their homes and businesses (or major efficiency investments for that matter) because of the heavy up-front cost.  They get trapped into the "payback period" concept where you figure out how many years it will take to recover your initial investment.  A better way of evaluating these improvements is through a "return on investment" model.  Property Assessed Clean Energy programs (PACE for short) allows a ROI model instead of payback.  So would a home equity loan, but here's the advantage with PACE - the loan rides with the property, not the owner.  Since these are often substantial permanent investments into the structure that provide benefits that stay with the property, it makes sense that the repayment of the loan stay with the property that is receiving the benefit.  With bank lending at a near standstill, this type of program will give local governments a tool to really boost local investments and job creation.  And property owners will have a new tool to help them make that final commitment to serous energy improvements.

Finally, a decent piece of energy legislation out of Florida.

Efficiency Study: South could meet future demand through agressive efficiency investments

From the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance:

According to a new study released today by a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Duke University, aggressive adoption of energy efficiency programs in the South would lower utility bills by $41 billion, create 380,000 new jobs, reduce the need for new power plants, and save 8.6 billion gallons of fresh water by 2020.

Total energy demand in the South, where per capita energy consumption is already higher than average, is projected to increase 16 percent from 2010 to 2030. At the same time, many Southern states spend less on energy efficiency programs than their peer states in other parts of the country. The research strongly indicates the South's projected growth in energy consumption need not materialize if the region begins to tap into its tremendous energy efficiency potential.

"An aggressive commitment to energy efficiency could be an economic windfall for the South," states Dr. Marilyn Brown of the Georgia Institute of Technology and co-lead researcher of the study. "Such a shift would lower energy bills for cash-strapped consumers and businesses and create more new jobs for Southern workers."

Read the study:  Southeast Energy Efficiency Study: Energy Efficiency in the South is a recent report by a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Duke University’s Nicholas Institute that uses state-of-the-art economic modeling to evaluate the potential impact of energy efficiency policies on Southern states. The energy efficiency policies examined by the research team fall into three broad categories: residential, commercial and industrial. The report also includes state profiles for each state in the region (including the District of Columbia) and the economic and employment impacts of energy efficiency for each individual state.

Sun Sentinel: Clean energy measure slammed for "benefiting" utilities at customers' expense

- by Julie Patel on April 26, 2010

The Florida Renewable Energy Producers Association -- made up of clean energy companies, construction companies and others -- slammed a House bill to increase the state's renewable energy production because of its costs, among other things.

The group announced Monday that it has filed to the state its intent to create a ballot initiative to create renewable energy requirements (so-called RPS standards) that would allow independent clean energy producers to compete with utilities for building renewable energy plans and selling the energy.

FREPA leaders say the competition could lower costs to utility customers -- a major issue in the legislation this year.

The measure, HB 7229, is scheduled to be considered Tuesday in the House.

The bill "transparently allows investor owned utilities to bypass the Public Service Commission review process with regard to cost while encourages self building of plants by utilities," FREPA said in a statement. The group said it would boost the state's renewable energy supply but it would be "mostly to the benefit of...utilities' bottom line while not creating a competitive market in Florida."

(Read the rest on Sun Sentinel online)

New clean energy report puts Florida a distant 13th in "clean energy leadership"

A new (free) report by Clean Edge, Inc. commissioned for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center shows the tiny New England state second only to California in fostering a favorable environment for the development of clean energy businesses.

Florida managed to make the top 15 (the extent of the report) just barely with slightly more than half the number of identified effective policies and programs as the top ranked states - California, Massachusetts, and Oregon.

Download the report

Florida Shines in Solar Decathlon Qualifying round

The US Department of Energy announced on April 15th the finalists for the 2011 International Solar Decathlon.  Florida Universities will be prominent in the competition with five public universities chosen to go toe to toe with some of the world's best.

Florida fields the most Universities by far with Florida International University - a competitor in 2005 - again fielding a team, and Florida State University, University of Central Florida (home of the Florida Solar Energy Center), University of Florida, and University of Southern Florida comprising "Team Florida."  All of Florida's competitors are State Universities.

Congratulations to all of the teams selected for this intellectually grueling competition.

Hopefully our State Legislature will take note and get serious about a renewable energy policy.  There is clearly strong interest from our future engineers, architects, and environmental design professionals to support a renewable energy renaissance in Florida.

About the Solar Decathlon:

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are affordable, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends cost-effectiveness, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.

The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; the competition has since occurred biennially in 2005, 2007, and 2009. The next event will take place in fall 2011. Open to the public free of charge, the event takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Visitors can tour the houses and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today.

For more on the 2011 competition and to check out the prototype houses each team submitted for the competition, visit the announcement on the DOE website: solardecathlon.gov

Miami Herald: Concern raised over nuclear waste storage at Turkey Point

Nuclear regulators are questioning spent-fuel issues at Turkey Point as FLorida Power & Light squeezes more waste into holding pools.

BY JOHN DORSCHNER
jdorschner@MiamiHerald.com


The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has called a special meeting next week to discuss three apparent violations involving a spent-fuel pool at Turkey Point -- a critical issue as the long-held plans for storing waste in Nevada have collapsed.

Technically, the meeting in Atlanta on Wednesday involves the degradation of ``a neutron-absorbing material called Boraflex in the Unit 3 spent-fuel pool.''

Used nuclear fuel has been building up at Turkey Point for the 35 years of its operation.

The degradation involves systems intended to cram more spent fuel into the pools, according to Lawrence King, a former NRC inspector.

More than two million pounds of waste now sit at the South Miami-Dade site in pools of water -- although Florida Power & Light spokesman Michael Waldron says it's more accurate to think of the spent rods as occupying a 16-foot cube if bunched together

Read more: miamiherald.com

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From Florida Today: Job-killing mistake; Legislature's failure on farsighted energy policy hurting Florida's future

State lawmakers are halfway through a legislative session they say is all about creating jobs.  But when it comes to passing a comprehensive energy policy to make Florida a major player in renewable energy, they’re failing miserably.  That’s a job-killing mistake that’s preventing the creation of new businesses and industries, and Florida will pay a steep economic price unless they change course.  It’s particularly harmful to the Space Coast, where 9,000 NASA workers at Kennedy Space Center may lose their jobs with the shuttle fleet’s retirement and cancellation of the Constellation moon program.  Their high-technology skills make them a perfect fit for the solar, biomass, wind and other renewable industries taking root, an industry that grew three times faster than the U.S. economy in 2007.

There’s also a local foothold:

Florida Power & Light’s new $78.9 million solar power project on 60 acres of old citrus field south of the KSC Visitor Complex. It’s one of three solar plants the company is building in Florida and has already created 100 jobs.

Lawmakers block action

But Republican lawmakers consumed with wrong-headed moves to open the state’s coasts to oil drilling, or who contend that state government shouldn’t take a major role in building a renewable energy market, are blocking action.

That’s sending businesses to other states and nations at a time when Florida — with a 12.2 percent unemployment rate, a 35-year high — should be pulling out the stops to plug in.

For example, eight renewable energy companies that have expressed an interest in Brevard County say they won’t come unless the state moves forward, says Lynda Weatherman, CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast.

Another casualty is a FPL proposal to build a much larger, 100-megawatt solar plant at KSC.

That could bring 1,000 temporary construction jobs and 50 long-term science and engineering jobs here. The facility also could become a hub to attract companies that manufacture solar components.

more on Florida Today (highly recommend the read)

 

Miami-Dade looks into tax financing of solar for homeowners

Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson pushed a piece of legislation through the Commission calling on the Mayor to develop the "Berkeley model" for renewable energy financing.  Basically a person who lives in an area offering this type of service (currently the City of Berkeley and Palm Springs County, California, Boulder Colorado and a couple other places in the country) can "op-in" to a taxing district like you have for street lights or landscape maintenance.  But instead of mowing the commons of a development, the property owner can use funds to install solar or do major efficiency enhancements like super-efficient windows or an A/C or cool roof and pay back the loan through an assessment on their tax bill.

The resolution calls for a plan to come back for the legislative body's review in three months.

You can read the resolution here

and if you really want a glimpse of what nonsense the Board of County Commissioners can be, watch how long the "debate" dragged out because perennial opponent to Sorenson - Natash Sejas tried to kill the idea and ended up voting against the item along with allies Diaz and Martinez: Video  and click on item 11A9 on the left.

County developing sustainability plan - comments wanted on first report

Miami-Dade County is developing a comprehensive sustainability plan. Hopefully it will go from plan to action instead of a shelf collecting organic dust.

I won't let the pessimist in me rule the day, so I'll be one to dig into the report and send some comments.  The County released an "assessment report" a couple weeks ago and is looking for comments ASAP.  Please take a look at the site and see what you think, let them know if you like the measures they're using to determine "where we are" and send ideas on what you want to see in the report if it isn't there.

Climate change and energy are two major subject areas in the report.

miamidade.gov/greenprint/milestone_one.asp

Here's some additional info from the County's Sustainability office:

Please note that the purpose of the Assessment Report is to identify how County residents / businesses / governments / organizations are doing with regard to sustainability (environmental/economic/social equity) issues and to identify existing challenges.   In addition to trying to get a snapshot of where things stand with regard to sustainability, the function of the Assessment Report is also to identify metrics that can be used in the future to  assess how much (or how little) progress we make each year with regard to identified challenges.

The purpose of the Assessment Report is not to set goals or decide which initiatives should be a priority  – these will be different steps of the sustainability plan process, and we will be requesting public input for these steps in the future.

Miami-Dade College PV installation and design workshops - January 15, 16, 22, 23

Workshops for basic and now advanced photovoltaic installation and design are available again at Miami-Dade College through the Earth Ethics Institute.  Classes from January 15 through the 23rd.  Visit their site for details and how to register: www.earthethicsinstitute.org/pvworkshops.asp