Few cloudy skies ahead for solar power at Florida's utilities

For years, Florida has trailed behind other states - and even northerly countries like Germany - in solar energy. One of the reasons given is even though we're called the Sunshine State, it rains a lot. Things are finally changing. Susan Glickman of the advocacy group Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says it all boils down to one thing: cost. The price for renewables is getting cheaper and could in the near future be less than natural gas. [Source: WLRN]

With Florida’s medical marijuana market thriving, pot proponents aim for full legalization

Floridians overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana in a 2016 ballot question. Now, pot proponents want to ask voters to fully legalize cannabis. Organizers of two petition drives aim to pose the cannabis question to voters in the November 2020 election. The two questions proposed for the 2020 ballot are generally similar. Both would allow any adult 21 or older to possess pot and to consume cannabis in private. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

Should Florida limit coastal development, toughen building codes? Influencers say yes.

As state and local officials grapple with the challenges caused by extreme weather and sea level rise on the coast, an existential question surfaces: How should they address climate change in a way that preserves Florida as it exists for generations to come? In a new survey of the Florida Influencers, a group of 50 prominent political and policy figures from across the state, there’s a strong consensus that some sort of change should be at least considered, if not made, soon. [Source: Miami Herald]

Florida’s Turnpike seeks alternative to troubled SunPass upgrade

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is seeking to replace its back-office vendor, after criticism for more than a year about a troubled project to upgrade the SunPass collection system. The Department of Transportation on Friday announced what is known as a “request for information” that is a first step in getting a new contract. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Low lake water levels impacting Florida fishermen

A group of fishermen around Lake Okeechobee are calling on the Army Corps of Engineers to end its policy of maintaining lower water levels. They say the lower levels are a threat to business. A group of fishermen in the area signed a letter in which they urged officials to change the management of the lake. [Source: WWSB]

The role of patent protection in technology start-ups

One of the great benefits of the patent system is to give start-up technology companies a reason for potential investors to invest, while providing protection. Patents give a start-up exclusive rights in the technology. Without this exclusivity, the start-up is subject to having its technology copied by others – particularly by large established companies who already enjoy access to marketing channels and economies of scale. [Sponsored report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Navy’s research pact could boost collaboration with Orlando tech industry [Orlando Sentinel]
Central Florida’s profile within the U.S. Navy’s research efforts will soon start to grow. The Navy announced early this month that its offices at the Central Florida Research Park will become one of five regional hubs in the U.S. for NavalX, which allows the military branch to more easily coordinate with private companies on projects to support its sailors.

› Virgin Hotels is coming to Miami. And you can even live in the building, too [Miami Herald]
A mixed-use hotel and co-living development is coming to Brickell. And Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson is behind the deal. Virgin Hotels, a chain of hotels by Branson, will open by 2023. Other hotels by the brand are scattered across the country in Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco. The Magic City will be among the nine national and international locations soon to get one of the brand’s hotels.

› St. Augustine company uses scrap wood to create toy guitars for sick children [Florida Times-Union]
A St. Augustine manufacturing company is turning scrapwood into toy guitars for children around the world. In 2016, Wayne Robison, Rulon International’s president and CEO, came up with the idea to turn scrap into 10,000 guitars and donate them to sick children around the world. Three years later, the company is over halfway toward realizing that goal.

› State's algae task force to meet in Naples this week [WFTX]
Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force will meet again this week; this time in Naples. They will focus on several topics including the health impacts of toxic algae. There will be updates from the Department of Health and Environmental Protection.

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› Florida Retirement surpasses benchmark with 6.3% annual return [Pensions and Investments]
Florida Retirement System, Tallahassee, returned a net 6.26% for the fiscal year ended June 30, confirmed John Kuczwanski, spokesman for Florida State Board of Administration, which oversees the money management of the $163.1 billion pension fund.

› Orlando AT&T worker wins $10,000 for Zebra Coalition [Orlando Sentinel]
A good deed may be its own reward, but as Kristian Cosme of Orlando learned this month, getting $10,000 to give to his favorite charity — the Zebra Coalition, a nonprofit for LGBTQ youth — is pretty sweet too. Cosme, 39, is the 2019 recipient of the AT&T Community Impact Award, given by the company to recognize employees who go above and beyond in community service.

› More South Florida Breweries on Tap Despite Uphill Battle for Real Estate [Daily Business Review]
Jose Mallea set out in 2012 to open a brewery in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, but the city had yet to craft its zoning regulations for beer makers. Instead, he opened Biscayne Bay Brewing Co. in Doral, which allows manufacturing with dual industrial-retail uses — an ideal recipe for breweries.

› Boat lift manufacturer brings new executive on board [Business Observer]
An aluminum frame boat lift manufacturer announced that it hired a new chief financial officer and chief operations officer. North Fort Myers-based Golden Boat Lifts appointed Jeff Wagner to the positions, according to a news release.