Industry association chief says Florida Governor’s renewables plan is “too much, too soon”; Republicans split over targets, timetables

In Florida, the president of the Associated Industries of Florida said that Governor Charlie Crist’s plan for biofuels is “too much, too soon,” and called for a state cost benefit analysis to be completed before the Governor’s plans are implemented. The Governor called for $200 million in incentives for solar, wind and biofuels, a biodiesel mandate, a reduction in utility energy by 20 percent and a 45 percent increase in building efficiency by 2018.

Recently, Florida state agriculture commissioner Charlie Bronson said five ethanol plants were in the planning process in the state, and U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, added that the state has as much as 60 Mgy in production capacity based on citrus waste. The two spoke to the 25 x 25 group, which aims to reduce US energy dependence on foreign oil by 25 percent by 2025.
The Florida state government awarded grants totaling $25 million to 12 biofuels and renewable energy companies as the state moves forward with its Farm-to-Fuel goal of producing 25 percent of Florida’s energy needs by 2025 using Florida agricultural resources.

Among the projects, US EnviroFuels received a $7 million grant towards its 20 Mgy sweet sorghum ethanol plant in Venus. $7 million also was awarded to Gulf Coast Energy of Walton for its $62 million ethanol and biodiesel project in Mossy Head.

Biofuels Digest Index component stock Xethanol was one of the beneficiaries when its Southland Biofuels subsidiary received $500,000 towards its $6.4 million pilot plant in Auburndale that will produce ethanol from citrus waste.

The Florida Institute of Technology received $415,000 for microalgae project in conjunction with California’s Aurora BioFuels, while Neptune Industries received $158,000 for an algae biodiesel research project. Other grants totaling $4.5 million went to Liberty Industries, Agri-Source Fuels and Sigarca for waste-based biodiesel and ethanol projects.

In Florida, 139 proposals were submitted for state funding through the Renewable Energy Technologies Grant Program.

Grants were awarded based on economic potential, energy efficiency and cost share percentage. Applicants sought $200 million in grant funding and pledged $700 in cost share funding. In 2007, the state awarded $15 million in grants.

Florida governor Crist has said that he opposed the Brazilian ethanol tariff and would lobby the state’s Congressional delegation to reduce it. The 54 cent per gallon tariff is scheduled to expire in 2009, and Crist warned that it was unlikely that the tariff would be repealed in 2008 due to the US Presidential elections.

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