By David Fischer
Associated Press
04/30/08

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — An expansive energy bill headed for the governor's desk is just the first step in making Florida a national leader in clean energy, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, just a day after the House passed the same bill unanimously.

While the legislation represents a major shift in energy policy for the state, many lawmakers acknowledged that there was still more work to do. Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, one of the bill's sponsors, said lawmakers will most likely have to look at the legislation again next year to make sure it's implementation is going smoothly. Several major provisions of the bill also require future approval from lawmakers.

The bill, for example, would authorize the Department of Environmental Protection to make electric utilities pay for the pollution they create, an effort to reduce greenhouse gasses. The department would set pollution limits for utilities and require the companies to buy carbon credits when they exceed those limits, offsetting those emissions.

The department also would develop rules that would require new vehicles sold in Florida to pollute less. The pollution limits the department develops for utilities and cars would both have to go back to the Legislature for approval.

The bill also would require private electrical utilities to generate a certain amount of the power they sell from renewable sources like wind and solar power. The state board that regulates private utilities would have to create standards for how much energy comes from those sources, which lawmakers would have to approve.

Lawmakers would also receive suggestion for future legislation from the newly formed Florida Energy and Climate Commission, which would be created by the bill. The board would take the lead in setting energy policy for the state and bring the functions of existing boards and departments into a single group.

Other provisions in the bill would strengthen green building codes and energy efficiency standards for appliances and simplify the approval process for nuclear power plants.

Gov. Charlie Crist said in a prepared statement that the bill signifies a commitment to protecting Florida's natural beauty and stimulating the state's economy. Crist made clean energy a priority for the state during a summit on global climate change last summer.

Earlier this week he announced that another summit will be held in Miami at the end of June. It will focus on attracting companies that use clean energy technologies to Florida to boost the state's economy.

The bill headed to the governor passed the Senate 39-1.

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