By Zax Anderson
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
03/13/08

Floridians like their sunshine and they want to harness its energy for more than just tanning at the beach, according to a poll of 625 state residents released Thursday.

The Mason-Dixon poll showed that 85 percent of the state's residents "think the Florida Legislature should encourage investment in solar energy."

The poll and a subsequent press conference with top legislators in the state Capitol building where initiated by the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association, which is trying to encourage lawmakers as they consider major changes to the state energy policies that favor renewable energy.

Of particular interest to the Solar Industries Association are two proposals, one that would nearly triple the state's solar panel rebate program for homeowners and businesses from $3.5 million annually to $10 million and another that would put into law net metering rules recently adopted by the Public Service Commission that allow people with solar panels to sell their energy back to power companies at retail rates.

While lawmakers could be squeamish about boosting spending on solar panels when the state faces deep budget cuts, the second poll question found that 81 percent of Floridians "support solar energy investment if it would cost on dollar or less per month on (their) utility bill."

Three of the Legislature's staunchest renewable energy advocates, Senator Burt Saunders, R-Naples, Senator Lee Constantine, R- Altamonte Springs, and Representative Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton, participated in the press conference.
Hasner said he wants to protect the solar rebate money.

"Even in difficult budget times we also need to keep our eyes on the future," said Hasner, who drives a hybrid car.

Constantine and Saunders were coming straight from the Senate's Committee on Environmental Preservation and Conservation where they had spent two hours debating a bevy of energy bills that promote renewable energy. Saunders, who chairs the committee, said he expects to pass a bill next week that would then be considered by the full Senate. Saunders said the bill will closely mirror Gov. Charlie Crist's sweeping energy proposals to make homes 50 percent more efficient by 2019, boost ethanol use in Florida and cap greenhouse gas emissions that are believed to cause global warming.

"This is a big issue for the governor and we're going to try and give him the tools that he needs," Saunders said.


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