As Senate Energy Debate Opens, Florida Joins Growing Chorus Against Federal Renewable Portfolio Standard
June 11, 2007
06:47 PM
WASHINGTON – As the Senate takes up a procedural motion to begin debate on energy, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today announced that Florida has joined the growing chorus of states and utilities to speak out against a federal renewable portfolio standard.
Today, Domenici and Florida’s two Senators received a letter from the Florida State Public Service Commission arguing that a one-size-fits-all approach would create a disadvantage to their state. Florida’s letter comes less than a week after nine other southeastern states voiced their opposition to a federal RPS due to lack of natural resources in the region.
Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) is expected to offer an RPS amendment during floor debate on energy.
“A one-size-fits-all RPS is the wrong approach. It unfairly punishes states in the southeast—and the citizens that live in them—for not having the same natural resources that other regions enjoy. We should not ignore the increasing opposition to a federally mandated RPS,” Domenici said.
“I do believe that we must find ways to reduce our energy consumption, but we must take into account the variety of resources available to individual states. If the Senate takes up an RPS, I plan on proposing a Clean Portfolio Standard (CPS) amendment that will include more clean energy resources like nuclear, hydropower and efficiency standards, in an effort to bring more states into the fold and reduce our emissions,” he continued.
Over 24 states have individual RPS standards that have been crafted to accommodate their own individual energy resources. A strict nationwide standard like the one likely to be proposed would force many states to pay a compliance fee to the federal government. This would give preference to those states with natural renewable resources, while costing taxpayers in noncompliant states.
The letter, signed by four Florida Public Service Commissioners, reads in part:
“Use and investment in renewable and alternative energy is in the best interest of Florida’s retail consumers, economy, environment and energy future; however a federally mandated one-size-fits-all portfolio standard is not.
“…We are concerned that a federally mandated RPS could increase the cost of service for all consumers and businesses who use and pay for electricity, while providing no incentive for investment in Florida or benefit to consumers in return for those higher bills.
“…A national mandate that limits state action by narrowly defining which technologies would quality for inclusion in a renewable portfolio standard would disadvantage our citizens and businesses. We respectfully request that you oppose any one-size-fits-all federal RPS mandate on the states.”
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