Seminoles for Energy Independence

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Comment by Gerald McClain on July 7, 2009 at 8:39am

Before installing solar panels or a windturbine in your home or business you should install a ground source or geothermal heat pump to save 50-70% of your electric energy. By saving 50-70% of your electric energy you only have to put in half as many solar panels of half the size of the windturbine to get 100% energy savings. A tax credit of 30% is available to install a Geothermal Heat Pump System. I just had one installed in a new home I am building. I took pictures and video of the complete installation. You can find the videos on Pickens Plan.

1. Drilling Boreholes for Geothermal Heat Pump System
http://www.push.pickensplan.com/video/home-1drilling-one-of-6

2. Grouting Boreholes for Geothermal Heat Pump System
http://www.push.pickensplan.com/video/home-2grouting-drilled

3. Header for Geothermal Heat Pump System
http://www.push.pickensplan.com/video/home-3creating-the-header-for

4. Installing Ductwork, Piping for Geothermal Heat Pump System
http://www.push.pickensplan.com/video/home-4installing-ductwork

5. Flushing and Purging Geothermal Heat Pump System
http://www.push.pickensplan.com/video/home-5once-geothermal-heat

More information at http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu

Comment by Faye on March 13, 2009 at 11:11pm

Thousands of New Jobs, Megawatts of Renewable Energy, Florida’s Green Economy BOOMING - ONLY YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Legislators tell us they MUST see YOUR Faces in Tallahassee in order to pass a Renewable Energy Dividend policy state wide. Transportation will be available to you from your nearest large metro area. Go to www.FAREnergy.org for details and registration.

Date: 03/24/09
Time: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Meet at: Tallahassee Community College Capitol Center
Downtown, 300 West Pensacola St
Please join us for this very important event!

Advocates of effective renewable energy policies will gather at the State Capitol on March 24th, 2009 to show their support for the most effective renewable energy policy our legislature can adopt: Renewable Energy Dividends. Join renewable energy businesses, experts, and advocates, including manufacturers and representatives from the world’s largest renewable energy industry companies. Replicating the success of Gainesville, Florida and introducing a Renewable Energy Dividend policy will bring widespread economic recovery and job creation to Florida, while establishing energy security and environmental stewardship.

Agenda:
7-8 am Registration
8-9:30 Briefing/Training
9:30-11:45 Lobbying
1 pm Rally & Press Conference
1-5 Lobbying
5:15 Debrief
6 pm Depart

Try to wear YELLOW. It can be a shirt, hat, scarf, ANYTHING to give a bolder message!

The Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy “FARE” is a coalition of concerned individuals, businesses, communities, associations, utilities, policy makers, non-profits, and renewable energy producers. FARE is dedicated to educating and engaging Floridians on effective Renewable Energy Policies.

Let Sunshine Power the Sunshine State!

Contact:

Faye Roller – Administrative Director
Florida Alliance for Renewable Energy
www.FAREnergy.org
faye@solarsource.net

Jane Maxwell - FARE Member:
727-709-3398
Register at www.FAREnergy.org

Comment by Roy R on December 5, 2008 at 6:45am

Job Creation, Energy Independence, Environmental Stewardship

The energy market has dominated headlines for as long as can be remembered. As we climb our way out of the current economic cycle, new leaders are created and new industries will lead the way back to a strong, robust economy. Those who look to the future of the energy market know that Renewable Energy is an industry that is boiling over with potential. A growing new Renewable Energy industry in Florida will create untold thousands of jobs, collect millions in local tax revenues, and bring us to the forefront of the national stage on energy independence and environmental stewardship.
Renewable Energy Payments are a policy mechanism that have proven to promote the fastest, cheapest, and most widespread growth of Renewable Energy anywhere in the world, with implementation in over 45 countries. Currently at least 8 states in the U.S. are considering a Renewable Energy Payment (also known as Feed in Tariff) policy mechanism. Today the State of Florida is positioning itself ahead of the curve and providing a beacon for the rest of the country to follow by considering this policy mechanism.
A Renewable Energy Payment (REP) provides a fixed contract to the producers of Renewable Energy. The contracts, which are fixed for typically twenty years, afford the producer the ability to borrow against a mandated, guaranteed payment from their utility company. Also, these contracts, which are transparent, simple to understand, and open for inspection, include long-term agreed upon prices that the utility company will pay the producers for the energy it buys. The prices are set high enough to be an incentive to new producers and encourage existing producers to maximize their capacity.
The key components to a proven successful REP model:
• Anyone can access the grid, democratizing the new market and allowing anyone to produce renewable energy.
• All producers will receive a fixed payment, at reasonable rate of return, for a fixed period of time, typically 20 years, for the renewable energy that they produce.
• There is no limit to the amount of renewable energy that can be produced.
• The contracts are transparent and simple to understand.
With these features included in the design, a Renewable Energy Payment policy would create a stable and competitive renewable energy marketplace. Imagine if homes, churches, schools, hospitals, condo associations and ranchers could all install solar, wind and other renewable energy sources on their rooftops or land and then produce energy and sell it to the utilities for profit.... It could completely transform our economic landscape. Floridians are owed the chance to participate in the Renewable Energy market with a level playing field, and Renewable Energy Payments are the single most effective way to make sure this happens.



The key results of a REP market include:

• Job Creation. All levels of jobs are created including high-skilled positions in engineering, manufacturing, agriculture, and electronics. Jobs in banking and finance, breathing life in to a lending industry.

• Stability and Investment Security. REP incentives also have massive appeal to investors and lenders. Unlike Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) which have annually fluctuating values through a trading mechanism, REP incentives never change and never require any administration or additional cost. As long as the RE system is generating electricity it continues to make the system owner a guaranteed return on their investment.

• Stay at home revenue. With REPS, the revenue from producing renewable energy will stay in the county and state where it is produced. This will create "local wealth" and stimulate the local economy.

• Equality. REPs create a level playing field for all different sizes of renewable energy producers. It encourages individuals, small businesses and larger businesses to become renewable energy producers and rewards them all.

• Reduce Carbon Output. Burning fossil fuels releases 75% of the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet. It is estimated that by switching to renewable energy we can cut CO2 emissions in half by 2030.

• Stabilize Energy Costs. Communities that use locally produced renewable energy have more stable energy costs. Once the systems are set up, their renewable fuels such as sun and wind are low cost or free. Overall, energy costs will be more predictable and controllable, creating economic stability.

• Create Energy Security. Renewable energy production will lesson a community’s or nation’s vulnerability to increasing fossil fuel prices and will increase self-reliant economic growth. Those who install renewable energy the soonest will save the most. The costs for renewable energy are expected to decline due to economy of scale and technological progress.





REPs Basic Steps


1. Priority access to the grid over conventional fuel sources [prevents gaming from utilities inhibiting grid access] within [60] days for all systems

2. Purchase guarantee with standard offer contracts (SOC) with the local utility standardized by the Public Service Commission. Contracts shall be 20 years fixed price with an inflation escalator [makes projects financeable with low cost debt versus expensive equity – target should be >70% debt for most technologies]

3. The SOC will be the broadly the same for all system sizes under 20MW – with the intent that the SOC provides a speedy transparent method for a RE producer to sell power to the utility

4. Pricing will be determined by the PSC but would be based on cost plus reasonable profit
a. To mimic the regulatory returns that regulated utilities currently enjoy in Florida for fossil generation projects.
b. Pricing to be differentiated by system size to factor in economies of scale that typically reduce installed costs for larger systems
c. We recommend that the PSC include in its calculation of return all federal ITC and other benefits such as accelerated depreciation.
d. A pricing digression methodology would be employed whereby every [2 years] the PSC can alter prices for new RE producers to factor in changes in costs
e. REPs by utilities for RE would be allowed to be recovered in the normal regulatory adjustment mechanism via a RE surcharge that would be allocated to each customer bill. The surcharge would be allocated by the PSC state wide to ensure that all customers pay for RE not just those customers of any one IOU
















Renewable Energy Payments


REPs are a simple, elegant, and cost-effective mechanism for supporting large-scale RE deployments in aggressive timelines. Germany alone has deployed 12 times the RE as the US since 2001, even though they have 1/7th the population and have ¼ the renewable resources for solar and wind (RE breakdown: 46% wind, 24% biomass, 4% solar). The Germans have already achieved the implementation of RE which accounts for >15% of their total power generation resources.


Germany’s FIT Success Story (through 2007)
1. Total Grid Contribution:
a. Baseline of 6.6% in 2005
b. 15% achieved by 2007
c. New 27% goal by 2020
2. Wind: 20,000+ MW installed (30.5 TWh generated) [45%+ of market]
3. Solar: 5000+ MW installed (US had 250 MW in 2007) [4%+ of market]
4. Biomass: 27% of market
5. Hydro: 24% of market

Approximate Cost in Germany
1. ~$2.80 (USD) a month (price of a loaf of bread)
2. Total Policy Cost of $2.4. B dollars annually
3. Net Policy Benefit of $4.8 B dollars Annually


Benefits of the REP Policy
1. Costs the ratepayers ZERO ($0) if the market does not support
2. REQUIRES NO STATE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION or tax credit support
3. Incentives are calculated around each RE technology’s cost structure and are adjusted on a set performance schedule
4. Supports all RE technologies equally or can be adjusted for weighted average
5. Will help lower grid electricity prices through widespread adoption of RE into the power mix with low/no fuel input costs over the long term
REP Policies – Overview

1. Florida should immediately begin to increase its proportion of solar and renewable energy. In doing so it will:

• Improve Florida’s energy security by reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels
• Create a wealth machine from solar and renewable energy. New construction, installation, electrical, manufacturing and finance jobs emerge as we expand on and establish a vibrant solar and renewable industry in Florida
• Improve our environment now and for the future citizens of Florida

2. REPs greatly increase competition in the renewable electricity generating sector in Florida. REPs policies allow everyone to become a solar and renewable energy producer up to 20MW per project, encouraging residential, commercial and larger investment groups to invest in and participate in solar and other renewable energy production. Each producer is allowed to self generate renewable power and sell the power back to their local utility
3. Utilities have hitherto been reluctant to invest the time and resources in building out small scale renewables projects since it adds minimal benefit to their earnings per share. Conversely, smaller renewable projects are best done by households, local community groups (churches/schools), farmers and developers, commercial groups and renewables companies. These policies therefore encourage renewable generation competition, and allow for a more efficient matching of producer and renewable resources. REPs allow a vast deployment of sub 20MW solar and renewable energy projects by providing solar and renewable energy priority access to the transmission grid and requiring that the utilities buy whatever power is produced.
4. Cost – REPs require NO taxation, NO upfront state payments or subsidies; the cost of paying the renewables producers is passed through to all utility customers through the usual PSC rate recovery mechanism. Costs will only rise if these policies are successful in delivering rapid deployment of renewables. Caps can be introduced to manage the desired growth.
5. Market mechanism – the state policy framework allows the private sector and market forces to work and invest; unlike renewable energy credits, there is no need for any state administration.
6. The solar and renewable energy REPs policy requires that all solar and renewable energy generating technologies are part of the solution. It is required that all renewable energy technologies as defined in [section 366.91] Florida Statutes, become part of the comprehensive REPs policy.







Recent REP Headlines

Nov. 18th Rep. Law introduces a feed in style renewable energy project in Michigan

Nov. 12th Gainesville Moves Forward on Feed-in Tariff

Nov. 7th. "Nov 4th" was a great day for Renewable Energy

Oct. 20th: Florida conference looks at German solar experience

Minnesota Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff Bill

Illinois: Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff Introduced in House of Representatives

Feed-in Tariff for California First

Germany sets shining example in providing a harvest for the world

Solar World expands in Orgeon

Comment by Bill Tucker on October 9, 2008 at 9:55am

This is a response to a letter I sent Governor Crist,


Thank you for contacting Governor Charlie Crist. Governor Crist
appreciates your concerns about Florida's energy needs and asked that I
respond on his behalf.

Governor Crist recently met with Mr. T. Boone Pickens at the Clinton
Global Initiative to discuss renewable energy opportunities in Florida.
To date, Florida has taken a very proactive position to support
renewable energy, alternative fuels and other clean technologies such as
compressed natural gas. Since the creation of the Florida Renewable
Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency Act in 2006, which includes
rebates, grants, and other economic incentives for energy investments,
Florida has contributed millions of dollars to stimulate research,
development and commercialization of renewable energy.

There are a number of solar energy projects under development in Florida
positioning it as the second leading state in the nation for solar
energy production. Additionally, a one megawatt solar panel system will
be installed on the Orange County Convention Center making it the
largest rooftop solar panel installation in the Southeastern United
States.

In addition, Florida is investing in wind technology. Florida Power and
Light is committed to the viability of large-scale wind generation in
Florida. Up to six utility-scale wind turbines will generate
approximately 13 megawatts of electricity. The second project,
constructed by Progress Energy, will look at small-scale wind energy
generation using turbines with a smaller capacity for businesses and
residences.

Like the Pickens Plan, Florida is currently considering all
transportation fuel options available, including compressed natural gas.
The Governor's Energy Office is also working with the state's Clean
Cities Coalitions to promote alternative fuels and advanced vehicles,
fuel blends, fuel economy, hybrid vehicles, and idle reduction. There
are currently 15 compressed natural gas stations in Florida that
primarily serve local government and private business fleets. This
office will continue to work with other interested parties to increase
the availability of compressed natural gas in the marketplace.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact Governor Crist. For
information about Florida's environmental policies and alternative fuel
initiatives, please visit www.myfloridaclimate.com and www.flgov.com.

Sincerely,


Warren Davis
Office of Citizen Services



To receive Governor Crist's weekly newsletter, "Notes from the Capitol,"
please visit www.flgov.com and click on "Subscribe to Notes from the
Capitol."