Governor Rick Scott is reviewing H.B. 7117, a bill that gives $100 million in tax incentives for renewable energy, which was passed during the 2012 session. He has until April 14th to decide whether this bill should become law or be vetoed.
We, the taxpayers, tried to inform Rep. Plakon and the other Florida Legislators and Governor Scott about the bad side of this for the taxpayers of Florida. Plakon stated, “I have worked on this bill for the last 5 months since taking on the Chairmanship of this committee and I think it is a good bill.” In other words, he was not going to listen to anyone who had anything negative to say about the bill or any part of it. Let us not forget, Plakon knows NOTHING about energy let alone being appointed Chair of that committee or WRITING a bill about something as important as this to the taxpayers of this state. We are not stupid and know the results of this bill came from Adam Putnam and his PRO GLOBAL WARMING buddies. You do not want to hear about Agenda 21 – well you had better read the RNC platform for 2012! Have you not heard about all the people in South Florida who have been removed from their homes just because the EPA can drive by your home and say it is now “wetlands?” Where is Adam Putnam when it comes to protecting the people of Florida from this highway robbery? Why are the legislators of Florida not putting a stop to this manhandling?
I was asked to provide reasons, again, why HB7117 is bad for Florida! This is my answer!
1. Global Warming is the single largest fraud ever perpetrated on the American people.
2. If the Florida Legislators are so concerned natural gas prices just might spike at some point in the future and take more money out of the pockets of the Florida consumers, by what logic do you come up with or agree to the solution to DEFINITELY take the money out of the consumer’s pockets and hand it freely over to the producers of expensive renewable energy which is what this bill provides for?
3. Living in a state usually riddled by hurricanes how do you think wind power is going to survive along with the known fact they are killing birds? Once again along with solar, wind power has not been used long enough to even know it will be able to work or that it will save any money since it has not been used over a long enough period of time for comparison. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that wind power will cost twice as much as natural gas power for many decades to come and smart Florida residents know that wind power is unrealistic in Florida.
4. Solar power, according to EIA, will cost more than three times as much as natural gas power for many decades to come. And again, has not been used enough to prove its effectiveness or to have any comparison reports. What is it with our legislators who have so blindly fallen behind the global environmentalists and people like AL Gore that see the way to our countries salvation is to make the people paying the bills poor and the people pushing for this ridiculous legislation rich?
5. If Florida legislators are so concerned about giving us affordable energy then why do you continue to refuse drilling in Florida for the Natural Gas and offshore drilling. Your actions in regard to this energy bill are no better than Obama’s and in fact in tune with his agenda. Did you read the news today? Drilling would not only create jobs and lower prices but would be a smart thing to do for the whole country. Why are the legislators so willing to be “beholding” to foreign entities for our fuel resources and at the same time allow foreign governments to come in and lease or buy our natural resource lands?
6. If the reports of Global Warming are wrong and we are going into a Global Cooling period with the sun going into Hibernation which is a normal thing every 206 years, take a look at Russia and what has happened to their wind power – freezing cold and the generators froze up – people froze to death this past winter. If the sun is in hibernation what good are solar panels going to do?
7. The recent discovery of massive shale gas deposits in the US dramatically lowered the price of natural gas prices and ensured a plentiful amount of domestic gas for at least the next full century. Are you not aware of all the natural gas in Florida – talk about job creation and lower fuel prices? What is wrong with tapping into that – afraid of the environmentalists! I hope they freeze first!
8. If the Florida legislature nevertheless disbelieves the EIA and believes the state should be fleeing inexpensive natural gas rather than embracing it, why is the legislature also blocking construction of coal-powered electrical plants? Coal-powered electricity is even less expensive than natural gas, while wind and solar power are substantially more expensive than natural gas.
Given that solar and wind energy are very expensive to install I found this analysis: The solar systems cost between $35K – $50K installed. This person’s system was monitored daily and has produced an average of 409 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month. This would save about $50 per month on an electric bill. A simple payback would be $50,000 divided by $50 per month equals 1,000 divided by 12 equals 84 years or the $35K comes to a little over 58 years. I think there is a better way. The wind turbine cost $15,000 installed and has produced about 58 kilowatt-hours a month. This would save about $7 per month on an electric bill. That would calculate into a simple payback of 180 years. Think this will work for Florida in the summer?
9. Environmental activists favor natural gas because natural gas electricity emits merely half as much carbon dioxide (of which the CO2 game is also a lie). Now that natural gas prices have dramatically fallen, and are projected to remain low for many decades or centuries to come, why is the Florida legislature rushing to get out of natural gas electricity?
10. In relation to the $50M wind and solar farm in Okechobee – I have no information on this but I just wonder how much the sugar industry has to do with this! My thoughts!
MAYBE FLORIDA TAXPAYERS NEED TO START FOLLOWING THE MONEY AND JUST SEE WHO IS ACTUALLY DONATING TO THE LEGISLATORS CAMPAIGNS!!
The Florida legislature asserting that the state needs to “diversify” its electricity by abandoning affordable natural gas in favor of expensive wind and solar power is like the Saudi government saying the nation needs to “diversify” its commodity production by abandoning oil production in favor of sand mining.
Because the Florida legislature has passed legislation forcing residents to bet on dubious wind and solar power, why not hold the legislators accountable on a similar bet? l believe the taxpayers of Florida should challenge the three most vocal GOP proponents of the bill, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Rep. Scott Plakon and Sen. Andy Gardiner to produce proof that the legislation they are hoping the governor will sign is the most effective and economic for the people of this state. If, these 3 gentlemen are not willing to answer to the taxpayers of Florida then we can answer them when we go to the polls in November and that includes everyone in the Florida legislature that voted for this monstrosity on the taxpayers of Florida. (Plakon and Gardiner graduated with degrees in Psychology – how is that helping them to know anything about energy?)
Adam Putnam stated “Supporters of HB 7117 (who are they Mr. Putnam?)say the bill will help the state create a framework for an energy policy that will encourage the expansion of renewable energy and bring jobs to the state. Putnam says the "modest" bill (you must remember Putnam wanted much, much more out of the bill) also is needed to show the Legislature can pass an energy bill after failing for the past three years. Even though it is harmful to the Florida taxpayers – just good for the lobbyists and global warming nuts! Supporters of this bill are all in “suits” just like with Sun Rail!
Slade O’Brien from Americans for Prosperity (AFP) posed the following items to Scott Plakon and Plakon’s response in general was surprise that Slade would question the bill since AFP had just given him the legislator of the year award – maybe they will think twice before handing out more “awards.”
1. The bill H.B. 7117 establishes $80 million in tax credits, over the next five years, with the goal of encouraging renewable energy projects. Targeted tax credits, like those in H.B. 7117, subsidize one politically popular industry while attempting to circumvent the free-market and consumer choice.
2. The vast taxpayer-funded subsidies that have been pursued at the state and federal level have done little to benefit the American economy and there’s been little change to our reliance on traditional fuels. In fact, a 2008 U.S. Energy Information Administration report showed that while federal government spending on energy subsidies doubled from FY1999 to FY2007, total domestic production remained unchanged and prices increased by more than 80 percent over that period of time.
3. Competition drives innovation, NOT government intervention and central planning. New energy solutions will emerge by offering consumers a greater value at a lower price, not by winning handouts from lawmakers. This type of big government incentivizing has proven time and again that it doesn’t work. Subsidizing renewable energy production will only further distort the market and preclude new technologies from becoming competitive in the energy sector.
Call the Governor’s office re: his assistant Brad Piepenbrink at 850-717-9303 or e-mail him at bop@eog.myflorida.com and have him tell the Governor NO to the Energy Bill! Just because they have not passed one in 3 years does not give them leverage to pass junk on the Florida taxpayers especially the Global Warming lie legislation.
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The Bill –
General Bill by Plakon and Mayfield (CO-SPONSORS) Abruzzo; Campbell; Clemens; Fullwood; Gibbons; Williams, T.; Young
Energy: Requires utilities' 10-year site plans to address existing & proposed renewable energy production and purchases; provides for portion of proceeds of local government infrastructure surtax to be used to provide loans, grants, & rebates to residential or commercial property owners who make energy efficiency improvements to their residential or commercial property, subject to referendum; reestablishes corporate tax credit for certain costs related to renewable energy technologies; directs DMS in coordination with DOACS to further develop state energy management plan.
