The Florida Renewable
Energy Producers Association (FREPA) is a Florida not-for profit organization, dedicated to
advocating on behalf of all current and potential renewable energy
producers with an interest in project development in Florida. FREPA's
main goal is to advocate for policy and fiscal incentives, a favorable
regulatory environment, project funding, and programs that promote
research and spur growth in the use of renewable energy sources in
Florida. We provide current information about the energy industry,
public policy and research relating to renewable energy in Florida and
the nation.
Our membership is open
to anyone with an interest and desire to have a voice in pursuit of our
mission to diversify energy and fuel offerings in Florida. With a robust
agricultural community and positive weather conditions, Florida is ideal
to lead in renewable energy crop production for biofuels. This is also a
great state for the production of solar energy, woody energy and other
forms of biomass. Technologies continue to be refined and Florida is on
the cutting edge with some of its current programs. We concur with
former Commissioner Charles Bronson and current Commissioner Adam Putnam of the Florida Department of Agriculture,
when they say Florida could have 25 percent of its energy be from renewable
sources by the year 2025.
Greater Miami To Launch $550 Million Energy Retrofit Fund; Billions In Unfunded Projects Wait Nationwide
Forbes,April 27, 2012- When I last dedicated a post to property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs, in January, I described how, with the residential PACE market stalled, project developers and financiers had collaborated to establish a commercial market.On April 12, a vote by the Miami City Commission authorizing the city to join the South Florida Green Corridor District brought one of the commercial PACE collaborations much closer to fruition.
Governor, Energy Bill: Put Power In Florida's Economy
April 8, 2012-Florida is rich in a variety of energy resources. While it is not an oil state within the boundaries of its land, Florida has renewable energy — solar, biomass and more — with potential that should be explored.
Florida Tea Party Rallies Against Renewable Energy Bills
The Florida legislature is frustrating Tea Partiers and grassroots conservatives by fast-tracking legislation that would ramp up taxpayer subsidies to Solyndra-style renewable power projects.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam who directs the Florida Energy Office present his energy proposal for 2012 legislature before the Florida House Energy Committee Jan 12, 2012
The Lights are on, people are in...They are saving energy and money and that is just the beginning.
West Palm Beach, Fla., April 10, 2012-The Town of Lantana recently approved the first-ever commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program in the state of Florida. A first-of-its-kind, the Florida Green Energy Works Program provides property owners the ability to purchase and install energy efficient and renewable energy technologies through innovative financing alternatives.
Power-generating wind turbines might rise near Belle Glade
January 3, 2012-Towering turbines that spin to provide electricity from wind aren't what turbines used to be.
They're a whole lot better, which is why Robin Saiz is still banking on building what could be the first wind farm in Florida.
Guest opinion, by Ray Judah: Florida's lawmakers choose winners, losers with nuclear projects
Dec 3, 2011-Theres been a lot of talk coming out of Tallahassee recently about fewer government regulations and more market-driven solutions. A similar sentiment was echoed at the recent Florida Energy Summit, sponsored by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, where state legislators and appointed officials argued that the state should not pick winners and losers when it comes to energy solutions. Let market forces prevail, they said.
Solyndra Highlights Long History Of Energy Subsidies
November 16, 2011 When Energy Secretary Steven Chu appears on Capitol Hill on Thursday to defend the Obama administration's solar energy subsidy program, he will face questions about the solar panel firm Solyndra, which went belly up this summer.
The Energy Department has drawn stiff criticism over a government loan guarantee program that lent the company half a billion dollars, but the government has a long history of subsidizing many forms of energy.
Couple promoting renewable energy plan for DeLand (**FREPA Note: some experts interviewed in article are proponents of rooftop distributed solar at the exclusion of large scale solar farms)
November 13, 2011,DELAND -- Richard and Ilonka Haugner have a vision for DeLand's energy future.
Instead of smokestacks, photovoltaic solar panels would soak up Volusia County's abundant sunshine and turn it into clean power. A nearby biogas plant would convert table scraps from local restaurants into methane, which could be used to generate electricity or fuel ecologically friendly buses. Meanwhile, organic fruits and vegetables would grow in a greenhouse on site.
Crossing The Cleantech Divide: Key Takeaways
Silicon Valley Bank brought together 104 experts from the entrepreneurial, venture capital, energy, academic and policy worlds to discuss critical issues affecting the long term growth of the energy generation, storage and efficiency markets. Read more about some key takeaways from this set of invigorating, closed door discussions.
State Renewable Energy Standards Under Attack
From GOP Legislators Republican legislators in Montana, Colorado,
Minnesota and Missouri are separately trying to weaken or dismantle
the renewable portfolio standards in their states, which are seen as
crucial to U.S. efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
develop a globally competitive clean economy.
From Sputnik to SunShot The energy
secretary, Steven Chu, was publicly using the phrase
Sputnik moment two months before President Obama
picked it up in the State of the Union speech to
describe the need for a national effort to improve
competitiveness in a technical field.
Florida jobs from renewable energy projects, topic of
discussion Florida Governor Rick Scotts
inauguration ceremony was simulcast in the community
room of the Naples Daily News as local business owners
met to hear this months powerful speaker presented by
the Economic Development Council of Collier County
(EDC).
Senate Democrats abandon comprehensive energy bill
(AP) - WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats on Thursday gave up plans to
attempt to pass an energy bill that caps greenhouse gases blamed for
global warming, abandoning a priority of President Barack Obama.
Why Are Democrats Giving Up on Energy Reform?
Congressional Democrats are officially dropping plans for a
comprehensive energy reform bill. They had originally hoped to pass
such a bill, meant to address long-term climate change, some time
during 2010. They now say they will instead focus on a more modest
energy bill responding to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,
dealing with such issues as regulatory standards. Why give up?
Schwarzenegger to veto renewable energy bills.
By JULIET WILLIAMS (AP) - Sept. 13, 2009 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said Saturday that he would veto
legislation requiring a third of California's energy to come from
renewable sources by 2020, choosing instead to mandate the change
through an executive order.
Democrats Behind Latest Drive for Drilling. June
23, 2009 - A change in leadership in Congress and the White House
has done little to make Florida's coastline less vulnerable to oil
drilling.
Gainesville Biomass Plant Approved. May 8, 2009 - The
city entered a 30-year contract Thursday that will bring a
wood-burning biomass power plant to Gainesville, promising a future
energy supply that is renewable, less subject to the price
volatility of fossil fuels and has cleaner emissions.
It's a
nice motto and all, but when it comes to harvesting those rays
through rooftop solar panels, Florida might as well coat itself in
sunblock.
GRU Unveils New Solar Incentives.
Oct. 13, 2008. Gainesville Regional Utilities has attracted the
eyes of environmentalists across the nation for a trail-blazing plan
to encourage solar energy production by agreeing to buy the
electricity above market value for 20 years.
"2008 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard"
Released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
(ACEEE). Oct. 2008. The report rates and
ranks state-level action on model energy efficiency policies,
programs, and practices. The report aims to recognize
leadership among the states, identify best practices, and offers
states a blueprint for greening up both the environment and the
economy through energy efficiency strategies. Download the report here.
State of the States 2008: Renewable Energy Development and the Role
of Policy. The Department of Energy's National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report provides insights into the
status of renewable energy development at the state level. The
report also proposes a strategy for better understanding the role of
policy in renewable energy development and provides reference
resources for state policy makers to better understand development
of renewable energy resources. See the report
here.
Cane generates a
harvest of energy. Sept. 20, 2008, St.
Petersburg Times. For the past 11 years, Florida Crystals, the
nation's largest sugar producer, has powered its massive refining
operation by burning leftover sugarcane. When there is excess
electricity, the company sells it to utilities all over the state,
providing enough energy to power 60,000 homes and eliminating the
need for 1-million barrels of foreign oil per year, the company
says. Now the company wants to play a larger role in the
state's renewable energy industry by expanding its electricity
generation and ultimately moving into the production of biofuels
such as ethanol. Despite a statewide push for more renewable
energy, Florida Crystals says it is running into opposition from
utility companies and state regulators. Read more.
EIG Biomass Contract
Moves Forward. August 15, 2008.
Southern California Edison asks California regulators for approval
of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Imperial Valley Biopower,
a unit of FREPA member Energy Integration Group. The utility
would take all the output from a 20-megawatt biomass facility near
the town of El Centro in California's Imperial Valley.
Farm to Fuel Event Pushes Florida. August 1, 2008.
Whether derived from sugar cane, switchgrass, algae, citrus peel or
woody biomass, biofuels grown in the Sunshine State can spearhead
the nation's future energy policy, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed
Schafer said.
The Next Generation of Alternative Energy: Venture capitalists flirt
with solar thermal, algae, and wave power.July 25, 2008. Now that alternative energy is the new
darling of Silicon Valley, investors are pumping cash into a raft of
obscure technologies, from wave power to algae fuel. Despite the
sluggish economy, alternative-energy start-ups received a record $2
billion in venture capital funding in the second quarter of 2008, a
58 percent increase from a year earlier, according to Cleantech
Group, a market research firm.
New: Keep updated and follow FREPA on
Twitter.
On April 24, 2012,FPL to reopen application period for solar photovoltaic rebate program on May , 2012 JUNO BEACH, Fla. – Florida Power & Light Company announced today that beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 3, customers interested in installing a solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) system can apply for 2012 incentive funding.
As part of an ongoing pilot program approved by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) to help reduce energy consumption and peak demand, FPL will offer PV solar rebates on a first-come, first-served basis for residential and business customers.
Read more.
On April 5, 2012, FREPA Join 110 Other Groups to Ask Congress to Renew and Fund Energy Title in 2012 Farm Bill WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 100 diverse groups representing agriculture, energy, rural development and conservation called on Congress today to renew and fund core energy programs in the Farm Bill that push forward clean, homegrown energy. These programs advance energy efficiency, wind, solar, new energy crops, biomass energy and biobased products.
Read more.
Florida Renewable Energy Producers Association (FREPA) comments on passage of HB 7117, Florida energy bill on the last day of 2012 session
Tallahassee- On March 9, 2012, the Florida legislature passed a bill being touted as a long awaited energy bill in Florida. The bill does provides some good things for energy policy in Florida. By restoring a number of expired tax credits, the bill certainly provides some incentive for those companies that are in a position to take advantage of them. But, by replacing expired tax credits, you are simply reinstating the past. Thus, the bill takes Florida back to the past and eliminates all progress made in recent years. Read more.
March 1, 2012 Op-Ed by FREPA President, Michael Dobson: Florida Must Get Serious About Renewable Energy A year later and with only days left in the 2012 session, Florida may once again try to pass a renewable energy bill that will not produce renewable energy. Floridas HB 7117 and SB 2094 have proven just that, to even include Tea Party rallies in opposition.
Read more.
FREPA takes lead and voices concerns:Renewable Advocates Split on Florida Energy Bills
Feb 16, 2012-Advocates of conservation and renewable sources such as solar and biomass are split over what sponsors are calling "modest" energy legislation in the belief that even a small start would cause those efforts to snowball.
Read more.
Nov 1, 2011 Op-Ed by FREPA President, Michael Dobson: Florida has no renewable energy policy for tough political reasons Florida has no renewable energy policy and the legislature is working at lightning speed to repeal all progress made in recent years. How can this be? We are the sunshine state.
Read more.
FREPA engaging 2011 legislative session.Op-Ed by FREPA President, Michael Dobson in response to energy bill moving through the Florida legislature: A Renewable Energy Bill That Even The Tea Party Cant Like The Florida Legislature came a step closer to passing a renewable energy bill that rips apart all that the tea party stands for. The bill would forever assign renewable energy development and deployment solely to Floridas regulated electric monopolies under the guise of supporting a green future.
Read more.
Michael Dobson: Ballot initiative is the only
way to Florida renewable energy Florida, a Peninsula dubbed
the Sunshine State, a state known for its agriculture along with its
lengthy growing season, does not have a stated commitment to
renewable energy.
Read more. Michael Dobson Address University of Central Florida venture Lab Cleantech Symposium
Global warming,
energy independence and good 21st-century jobs are three
compelling reasons why Washington must do a lot more to
promote renewable energy.
Does clean energy include coal, nuclear, natural gas?
The Obama administration wants to give power generated by natural
gas, nuclear energy and clean coal some credit for being a clean
energy source to help meet the presidents goal of having 80 percent
of the countrys electricity come from clean sources by 2035,
Energy Secretary Steven Chu told regulators and utilities Thursday.
Utilities need to accept nuclear risk If
you are a Progress Energy customer, come December you will have paid
more than $150 over the past two years toward two new nuclear
reactors that may never get built.
Renewable Energy Industry Chafed About Senate Energy
Bill
The wind industry is not responding well to today's
news that the Senate is abandoning a comprehensive
energy and climate bill and that the proposed plan from
the Democrats has no provisions for renewable energy.
After a Democratic Caucus meeting today, party
leadership decided they just didn't have the votes to
get a comprehensive package to the floor.
FREPA Renews call to place Renewable Energy
Portfolio Standards and Public Benefits Fund on November ballot for
voters FREPA calls on...Read Release Here
The Florida
Renewable Energy Producers Association (FREPA)
announced today its Third Annual "Sunshine State
Renewable Energy Expo and Symposium" will be held at
the Orlando Rosen Plaza Hotel on July 14-15, 2010.
By Bruce Ritchie. As biomass energy
supporters complain of opposition to some biomass
projects around the state, a company that is proposing
to build two in north Florida has suspended work on one
in Gadsden County.
Clean-energy Execs to Descend on Capitol
Hill FREPA members
Biomass Gas and Electric and WorldWide
Wind Development participate in lobby
fly-in to D.C. arranged through FREPA
office by request of Pew
Charitible Trust and others. Lobby
fly-in days happen all the time in
Washington. But one sponsored by Clean
Energy Works and We Can Lead seems worth
a mention.
FREPA South Florida Chapter President writes: Clean Energy's Job
powerhouse. People across the country
are struggling to find and keep jobs because of what many have
deemed the worst economy since the Great Depression. A recent report
indicates that we now have the chance to create a new clean energy
economy -- one that can provide job opportunities and a bright
future for people across the "Sunshine State.''
FREPA column on Florida RPS Re-Published in Los Angeles Times.
This FREPA column is a few years old, but its continued relevance
simply signals how Florida is stymied and indifferent about creating
green jobs and a competitive renewable energy industry.
Moreover, Florida could continue to lag behind other states if an
RPS policy is not adopted.
FREPA Joins National Coalition in Support of a Robust National
Renewable Electricity Standard (RES). October 20,
2009. As congress revs up for a clean energy bill, FREPA joins
a strong national coalition in support of a robust energy bill with
national Renewable Energy Standards for electric generation.
The letter indicates a growing and organized renewable energy
community.
BG&E division to grow biomass for Florida power plant.
Georgia-based FREPA member Biomass Gas & Electric plans to grow 50
percent of the feedstock that will be required to power its
soon-to-be-constructed biomass facility, Northwest Florida Renewable
Energy Center in Port St. Joe, Fla., at its subsidiary AgTech
Renewable Fuels LLC.
Environs Debate PSC Appointment Process. July
28, 2009 -- The leader of a group dedicated to developing renewable
energy in Florida said that part of the problem with getting the
market off the ground is the way the state selects members of its
Public Service Commission.
During
a roundtable discussion hosted by the Florida Renewable Energy
Producers Association called "Florida Big Bend Cleantech Business,"
FREPA president Michael Dobson described the PSC as too fraught with
politics because commissioners' futures depend so much on
politicians. Dobson compared the Florida PSC with other states'
regulatory panels, which he said are more independent and "seen as
experts."
FREPA member, Florida Crystals
selected as one of Florida's "Face of Climate Change."See video.
Palm Beach County loses out on planned $20 million ethanol plant.
June 11, 2009 - Palm Beach County has been jettisoned as the site of
a University of Florida ethanol plant. In the works for two
years, the proposed $20 million research and demonstration plant was
slated to be built next to Florida Crystals Corp.'s Okeelanta mill
and refinery near South Bay. But University of Florida
officials said Wednesday that revamped plans now call for building a
smaller plant closer to Gainesville, where it will benefit from
proximity to UF's faculty and staff.
Florida energy legislation killed in the house. May 2,
2009 - For the second year in a row, the Florida House killed
efforts by Gov. Charlie Crist and the state Senate to pass a plan
that would put the state at the forefront of the renewable energy
movement.
Florida, time to get on renewable energy map.By
Michael Dobson, April 7, 2009. Florida has a chance to lead,
but not today. In 2008, the Florida Legislature directed the Florida
Public Service Commission to develop rules for a Renewable Energy
Portfolio Standard for legislative passage in 2009.
Florida Renewable Energy Grants. The Executive Office of
the Governor is accepting proposals for grant funding under the 2008
Florida Renewable Energy and Energy-Efficient Technologies Grants
Program. For more info:
http://dep.state.fl.us/energy/energyact/grants.htm
The Florida Public Service Commission's
Strawman Draft Rule has some positive provisions, but in
total, it would establish a renewable energy portfolio standard
(RPS) that is destined for failure. Other policy
considerations aside, the PSC should focus on establishing a RPS
that will be successful and achieve the policy goals established by
the Florida Legislature, the foremost of which is the increased
development of renewable energy in Florida. Unfortunately, the
Strawman proposal would create a system that cannot succeed and will
not result in the increased development and use of renewable energy
in Florida. Read FREPA's
full response to the proposal here.
FREPA responds to misinformation regarding
a Tallahassee biomass plant: Biomass electric
generation and the BG&E project is not a
municipal solid waste incinerator. It is a woody biomass plant. It
is green energy. This plant is a gasification system unlike any
other. Read more.