Environmental Groups Struggle To Make Florida An All Renewable State By 2050

WFSU | By Gabrielle Bolden

Published April 22, 2019 at 5:06 PM EDT

Florida Clean Energy For All at the Capitol

Environmental groups gathered at the Capitol, Monday, to suggest ideas on how Governor Ron DeSantis can help advance clean energy.

The environmental organization, Florida Clean Energy For All, wants to make Florida a 100% renewable energy state by 2050.

Climate change has created multiple issues within the state which is from the most recent National Climate Change Assessment Report.

“The reality is while hurricanes are intensifying our communities are being flooded because of sea level rise were facing potentially virulent diseases from tropical disease vectors,” says Florida Conservation Voter’s Director Aliki Moncrief.

Acknowledging the problem at hand is the first step in becoming a renewable energy state.

“We’re not advocating for a particular policy but when you look at climate we do need to value what carbon pollution is doing. So, that’s not something that would likely be set up solely in the state of Florida and the governor did call for the development that actually never happene,"says Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Florida Director Susan Glickman.

One way to an all-renewable energy state is through solar power.

“The cost of solar has come down to about 80% and it’s set to continue to plummet we need an environment where Florida’s families and businesses can put solar on their roofs and they can save money,” Glickman added.

And Moncrief adds a utility-based program could assist in reaching the groups goals.

“Things like a renewable portfolio standard saying we need to get to 100% by 2050 breaking it out by sector would be honestly the quickest way and effective way to make sure the utilities really are investing as robustly as they possibly can in clean energy technology,” Moncrief says.

In 2016, only 1.5% of Florida’s energy was from renewables and a bill by Representative Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) that would move the state toward 100% of renewable energy did not receive any hearings.

While Governor Ron DeSantis has made efforts towards improving Florida’s environment by hiring a chief scientist, proposals dealing