Seeking Green Energy Alternatives

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Florida ranks among the top producers of greenhouse gases, having generated nearly 300 million metric tons of greenhouse gases just last year. That’s why Gov. Crist proposes new rules to cut 50 million metric tons by 2025, and even more in the distant future.

“Energy is integrated into every aspect of our lives, and Gov. Crist’s leadership has been incredibly important,” says Susan Glickman, The Climate Group’s U.S. Southern Region Director. “Now is the best time to take advantage of the opportunities before us.” The Climate Group is a global organization, based in London, that is working to bring the voice of big business to the attention of government so that policies are put in place that help foster opportunities within the green economy. Glickman is working to leverage Florida’s leadership and develop a carbon trading partnership in the South.

Thus, efforts are under way at Florida’s electric power companies — which soon may have to embrace a new emissions cap and trade program — and elsewhere to minimize carbon emissions and develop alternative power sources.

A sampling:

• Florida’s Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved a request from Florida’s largest investor-owned utility — Florida Power & Light (FP&L) —? to build two nuclear plants at Turkey Point near Miami. The PSC also cleared the way for Progress Energy to proceed with plans for a new $17-billion nuclear facility in Levy County. (Federal approval, however, is still needed.)
• FP&L plans to spend $688 million to build the state’s first commercial-scale renewable solar energy project. A proposed facility at the Kennedy Space Center, along with two other FP&L sites in DeSoto and Martin counties, are expected to collectively generate a total of 110 megawatts of solar power — making Florida the nation’s second biggest producer of solar energy.
• The PetroAlgae company in Melbourne, Fla., is developing a system to grow and harvest up to 14,000 gallons of oil per year from just one acre of algae.
• "We have invested heavily in a range of renewable initiatives, such as solar, hydrogen, wind and biomass,” says Jeffrey Lyash, president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida. “We think biomass is especially promising and we have signed contracts to purchase the electrical output of three biomass power producers since 2006.”
• TECO and Progress Energy are developing “demand response and energy efficiency demand” programs that temporarily cycle off power to the central heating and cooling system, electric water heater and other appliances of participating customers to reduce demand on the grid during peak periods.
• Gulf Power is designing a new energy conservation program for customers called EarthCents, which will include free energy audits of homes and businesses, geothermal heating and cooling incentives, solar water heating, a comprehensive education and promotion program and other energy conservation measures.
• The Mosaic Company — a leading producer of fertilizer around the world — captures waste heat during the manufacturing phase of fertilizer to produce steam used to generate 150 megawatts of electricity that meets most of the company's on-site needs in Hillsborough and Polk counties where the generators are located. Surplus energy is then channeled onto a regional electric grid to power other loads of the native utility company. Overall, Mosaic generates enough power to service 100,000 homes. "We hope eventually to become energy self-sufficient and enhance our position as a leader in the production of green energy," says Ozzie Morris, vice president of the company, where he manages environmental, health, safety and security programs. So far, electricity produced from the waste heat recovery effort yields an economic benefit to Mosaic exceeding $75 million annually.

• The Suwannee River Partnership focuses on using Best Management Practices to protect the environment.

  Work is under way in Suwannee County by Joseph Hall and his son Kenneth to develop “digester” technology to capture methane gas released by cattle on dairy farms and convert it to usable energy.
• The newly created Florida Energy Systems Consortium seeks to take stock of and bring together the diverse renewable energy expertise within the state’s universities. As the major partners in the consortium, the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, Florida Atlantic University and the University of South Florida will divide $50 million in research funding to address energy, climate and environment issues and develop renewable energy technologies. The remaining six state public universities are expected to participate in the consortium as well.