The Bill to Transition Florida to 100% Renewable Energy Is Critical to Florida’s Environmental Health and Economic Success
Orlando, FL – Senator Lori Berman (D- Boynton Beach) and Representative Anna V. Eskamani (D-Orlando) have both refiled legislation to transition Florida to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 and carbon neutrality by 2051.
House Bill 193 / Senate Bill 144 also bans fracking in Florida and would enhance economic development and job creation in the clean energy industry through the creation of a Renewable Energy Workforce Development Advisory Committee.
“As the Sunshine State, Florida should be the leader in renewable energy and clean energy jobs,” emphasized Representative Anna V. Eskamani. “Setting goals and building towards energy independence through renewables would be a game changer for our state, and this bill sets a roadmap to make that happen by 2050, leading to a cleaner and more sustainable state for generations to come. With this past summer being the hottest in the world, now is the time to take action on climate.”
Growing awareness of the environmental impacts of our energy use, coupled with rapid advances in technology and declining costs, have made renewable energy the preferred option for many communities and businesses. Today more than a dozen local governments in Florida have committed to 100% clean, renewable energy, including Orlando, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Dunedin, Largo, Gainesville, South Miami, Satellite Beach, Tallahassee, Clearwater and Safety Harbor.
Transitioning away from fossil fuels would also dramatically improve air and water quality. In fact, pollution emitted by coal and natural gas plants is linked with breathing problems, neurological damage, heart attacks, cancer, premature death, and a host of other serious problems. This pollution affects everyone: one Harvard University study estimated the life cycle costs and public health effects of coal to be an estimated $74.6 billion every year. That’s equivalent to 4.36 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced — about one-third of the average electricity rate for a typical US home.
And as emphasized in the bill, this is not just an environmental or health issue — it’s an economic one too. HB193 / SB144 encompasses key job transition components to ensure no one loses their job in the shift to clean energy but instead workers are retrained as new jobs are created. A Renewable Energy Workforce Development Advisory Committee would be formed to include key stakeholders alongside navigators that would assist those who work in the fossil fuel industry gain employment in the clean energy economy. Florida already ranks as one of the fastest growing sectors for solar jobs, and 3.2 million Americans already work in clean energy. Small businesses, the backbone of America’s economy, continue to employ the majority of the clean energy workforce. Florida lags behind California, Texas and New York in clean energy jobs; this bill would propel us to the front.
“This legislation will seize on the tremendous opportunity the clean energy economy presents our workers. Green careers are projected to grow nearly 9% over the next decade,” said Senator Berman. “We need to build on the progress of the Inflation Reduction Act—which ignited domestic manufacturing of batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and more—and prepare Florida’s workforce to compete in the global clean energy economy. Our legislation accomplishes this goal.”
Not taking action on climate also comes with a cost. For example, FEMA’s national flood insurance was raised as much as 18% in October of 2021 due to sea level rise. The rising cost of property insurance is linked to climate change and fossil fuels are a volatile fuel with cost impacted by international issues not always in our control. Floridians need relief, and this bill will help deliver it.
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