Progressive Energy Proposal Heading to Senate Floor

A proposal that puts Florida exponentially ahead of other states and the federal government in terms of promoting alternative energy and lessening the state's dependence on foreign oil is headed to the floor of the Florida Senate.

But its chief innovation - an independent body to oversee energy- making policy - is facing the adamant opposition of Gov. Jeb Bush, who says it usurps the authority of the executive branch.

"It's not going to happen. If it's in the bill, it will kill the bill," Bush said this week.

During debate in the Senate on Friday, the proposed Florida Energy Commission was pared to 13 members from the original 17.

But Sen. Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, is standing his ground in advocating such a group.

"We need to elevate this issue to a commission that will reside in (the Office of) Legislative Services," said Constantine, who is sponsoring the bill (SB 888).

The House speaker and Senate president would select nine of the members. The nonvoting members would be the chair of the Public Service Commission, the public counsel, the agriculture commissioner and the director of insurance regulation.

Constantine introduced the massive energy policy toward the beginning of the 60-day session, which ends Friday.

The bill arrived at the Senate floor for debate Wednesday, but discussion was postponed until Friday, likely so that issues including the energy commission could be worked out.

A similar bill (HB 1473), mirroring an energy proposal Bush introduced in early February, has moved through House committees but was never debated before the full chamber.

House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, has said he will no longer debate bills after Friday, only vote on bills that have been previously discussed. That essentially dooms the House proposal.

There's little point to having a new energy plan if there's no independent energy policy-making group to discuss and set goals, said consumer and environmental advocates, who have preferred the Senate bill for that reason.

"The really good thing is the energy commission in the Senate bill, because you have people on that commission that actually have expertise on energy issues and how they intersect (with) Florida's environment and economy," said Holly Binns, clean air advocate for the Florida Public Interest Research Group.

Having such a high-level commission is the "one redeeming quality" of the bill, said Susan Glickman, Florida policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group.

"The whole reason (Senate President Tom) Lee and Constantine are proposing it is because energy is complicated and the technology is changing rapidly," Glickman said.

The Senate could vote on the bill as early as Monday.

kristi_swartz@pbpost.com

What the energy bill would do

- Create the Florida Energy Commission, a 13-member group that would decide how the state gets, produces and uses energy, placing an emphasis on developing and using renewable sources such as solar or biomass. The energy commission would create a statewide 'climate action plan' to lessen carbon and greenhouse gases.

- Require state utility regulators to study how to strengthen Florida's power grid to better withstand hurricanes and tropical storms.

- Shorten the approval time for new transmission lines and power plants. Remove nuclear plants from the process requiring utilities to see whether a less expensive plant can be built.

- Give tax breaks and other incentives to develop, buy and use renewable energy technologies and products, including solar.

- Outlays: $15 million for Renewable Energy Technology Grants Program; $2.5 million for commercial solar rebates; $61,379 to promote sales tax holiday on energy-efficient products.

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