Florida's Energy Future

Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed three executive orders launching major initiatives in Florida to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and develop renewable energy sources.

Highlights:

• Set statewide GHG emission reduction targets of returning to 2000 levels by 2017 and 1990 levels by 2025. State government is required to reduce its emissions:
  • 10% by 2012, 25% by 2017 and 40% by 2025.
• Urge the Public Service Commission to require utilities to produce 20% of their power by 2020 by using renewable energy sources. The emphasis would be on solar and wind power.
• Adopt pending California auto emission standards requiring 20% reductions by 2012 and 30% by 2016. Crist said Florida would join a California lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency if it rejects the Golden State's standards.
• Require a 15% increase in the energy-efficiency standards of consumer appliances.

Florida's New Website

The State of Florida has launched a new website dedicated to climate issues:

www.myfloridaclimate.com. Check it out for important news and events, as well as resources like "The Climate Registry" and "Energy Calculators."

Trends in Fuel Costs

The graphs below show the historical trends and recent exponential increase in the cost of natural gas, motor gas and crude oil in the past seven years.

Click here for full screen versions of the graphs above.