With arguments coming in on both sides of the issue, Governor Rick Scott has until Saturday to take action on Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam’s comprehensive energy bill. Sascha Cordner has more.
It’s an 18-part bill that largely has bi-partisan support as well as the backing of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. He says this energy bill is market-driven and does not pick winners and losers.
“We’re not saying solar is better, or biomass is better, or winder is better. We’re saying if you spend real Capital and put real bricks and mortar in the ground, and hire people, and actually are producing either renewable fuel or electricity, then you are eligible for a tax credit. It is not an upfront subsidy to help you get there. It is only after you have spent significant amounts of private capital.”
Supporters of the bill have also touted it as an incentives package that supports renewable energy technologies. They say it should provide $16 million in tax credits for renewable energy next year, and up to $1 million per year for the following four years.
But, opponents of the energy bill say it only wastes taxpayer dollars and bankrolls politically-favored energy companies.
“As Adam Putnam said, there’s some good things in this bill. But as a former Congressman, he aught to know that you have good things that have some bad things in it, and you have bad things that have some good things in it, but either one of those is still a bad bill at the end of the day. And, they can come back in next year and redo it and do it right, but there’s no reason to set us down this path.”
Slade O'Brien is the director for American’s for Prosperity’s Florida Chapter. That conservative activist group is staunchly against the energy bill. The group has sent thousands of e-mails and calls to Governor Rick Scott, urging him to veto the energy bill. They claim will it drive up the cost of energy and undermine Florida’s rebounding economy.
James Taylor is with the Heartland Institute, another opponent of the energy legislation. He thinks it’s nothing more than crony capitalism.
“The crony energy bill would hand over 100-million dollars over the next five years to politically connected companies that are selling us energy that is far more expensive than the energy we would otherwise by purchasing. Even more importantly, the crony energy bill would erect new barriers to affordable energy, to the construction of power plants, using affordable coal and natural gas. And, in its place, would encourage state regulators to approve and grease the wheels, for more expensive wind and solar energy.”
Victoria Jackson is a former Saturday Night Live comedian turned Tea Party activist. She says this is no SNL bit, and she’s completely serious about how bad Putnam’s energy bill could affect Florida’s future:
“This bill would be supported by the Occupiers, Valerie Jarrett, Van Jones, Obama, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, communists, fascists, and socialists, whatever you want to call it. It’s the Government taking over. It’s the Government picking the winners and losers, even though it looks pretty on the outside. It’s the way out Government is being destroyed right now. Government, get out of our lives!”
Representative Jeff Clemens is one of the many Democrats who voted in favor of the energy legislation:
“I’m pretty sure that the Governor doesn’t turn to Victoria Jackson for advice on energy policy.”
He points out it had widespread bi-partisan support. The Lake Worth lawmaker says with such a conservative energy bill on the table, he just doesn’t get why Tea Party activists can’t get on board:
“This is an extremely conservative take on how we move energy forward here in the state of Florida. To me, it doesn’t go nearly far enough. And, it’s very conservative. The bill was proffered by Republicans, it was drafted by Republicans, and the bill’s main sponsor is probably one of the most conservative members of the Florida Legislature. So, I’m having a hard time understanding really what their issue is.”
And, the bill’s sponsor, Republican Representative Scott Plakon agrees. He says he has yet to hear a factual argument from the Tea Party and called Victoria Jackson’s argument a bit “extreme.” Plakon adds he’s also confident in the merits of his energy policy, especially since it was a collaborative effort that included the Scott administration:
“I will say that we worked very closely with the Governor’s office nearly since the beginning of this. We put some comfort in for the Governor’s office in on these tax credits to provide accountability each year as they go forward so we can see how they’re doing. We did that at the Governor’s office request. So, this is a joint product between the House, the Senate, and the Governor’s office. And, this is a very modest step towards trying to diversify our energy resources.”
Other lawmakers, like Democratic Representative Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, have reached out by letter to Scott urging him to sign the bill. She says House Bill 7117 levels the playing field between older forms of energy and the rapidly expanding market for renewable energy. She adds despite Tea Party’s opposition, it’s been four years since Florida has had any meaningful energy policy, and it’s about time to move in that direction. Meanwhile, tea partiers still say it’s time for lawmakers to go back to Tallahassee and start over.
*Update: The Governor allowed House Bill 7117 to become law Friday evening, without his signature.
