Energy tour ends at UCF

The Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy ended its 2011 Renewable Energy Tour at UCF on Feb. 26.

The trade association visited ten cities and urged more than 2,000 individuals and businesses to act upon upcoming legislation that could mean a renewable energy future for Florida.

The bill proposed by FARE, which is currently being drafted, would mandate that two percent of the income earned by utilities would be spent in biomass and solar technologies in Florida. FARE considers this legislation more likely to pass than previous bills because it believes all parties involved are ready for distributed energy.

The Retail Federation and Contractor's Association are two of the notable coalitions backing the legislation.

"These groups aren't lightweights," said Mike Antheil, executive director of FARE. "We have formidable opponents and we need to see that the legislature hears our message."

Since 2009, FARE has proposed legislation to promote energy independence, attract manufacturing, create jobs, fuel private investments and fuel local communities in Florida. The event's speakers were invited to comment on the most formidable problems FARE faces in reaching their goals.

"Solar is too expensive because utilities are in the way," said Haseeb Qadri, president and chief executive officer of NovaSol Energy.

Qadri, Kurt Easton, president of the Florida Redevelopment Association, and Dr. Bob Stonerock, president of the Florida Renewable Energy Association spoke candidly about the impediments including financing,  zoning codes that do not permit solar panels or other renewable energy technologies in homes, and the laws that restrict these technologies.

"UCF is a leader in renewable energy and technologies," said Chris Castro, a UCF alumnus and the campus U.S. Ambassador for the Department of Energy. "Orlando has potential to expand green market jobs in Florida."

Castro and Intellectual Decisions for Environmental Area Solutions hosted the event with FARE. I.D.E.A.S. will be encouraging students to get involved with the legislation as it is presented to the House in front of the Student Union in the upcoming 60-day campaign.

"We want to open this up to as many students in every discipline," Castro said. "The green industry is all-inclusive."

FARE encouraged the audience to be active within the 60-day legislative cycle as they believe it is the best time for the bill to pass. Florida utilities also have a bill contending with FARE's. Out of the 3,000 bills proposed in the upcoming cycle, only ten percent will be passed.

The speakers briefly discussed the prospect of nuclear energy as a renewable resource against solar. However, the idea was quickly dismissed because while there are few emissions, the cost for nuclear power plants is tremendous. Other than the cost, the panel mentioned terrorism and other factors against the case of nuclear power.

FARE believes that smaller, manageable units of solar energy sources are not only cheaper but also more efficient.

"If you want to compare economics, solar is more competitive," Qadri said.

FARE encourages individuals who want to get involved in passing this legislation to become members of the FARE network and attend Energize Florida Week from March 29 through March 31 in Tallahassee. Details will be posted at farenergy.org.

"We believe everyone should be responsible for their own carbon footprint," Stonerock said.