Florida Joins Clean-Energy Uprising

Published: Dec 17, 2007

Cheerfully envisioning a brighter energy future for Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist last week led a group of three other governors in challenging the whole nation to follow their lead toward using less foreign oil and producing lower amounts of heat-trapping emissions.

Crist hosted a roundtable discussion on alternate fuels at a Tampa hotel, where he reminded a group of energy experts that the nation's founders signed the Declaration of Independence, not a declaration of dependence. Instead of citing scientific reports and issuing dire warnings, Crist urged the group to use common sense and do the right thing.

He threw the weight of the fourth-largest state behind an initiative called "securing a clean energy future." The useful idea comes from fellow Republican Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota and chairman of the National Governors Association.

Crist and Pawlenty, along with the Democratic governors of Kansas and Montana, said their plan is to get 40 to 45 governors to sign energy agreements that set state goals for renewable energy, research, conservation and lower emissions, along the lines of executive orders Crist signed earlier this year.

When enough states sign on, Congress will have no choice but to follow with overdue federal energy standards.

States can't do everything by themselves because of potential rivalries, said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

"If Charlie moves too fast, the factory will move to Georgia," Schweitzer correctly pointed out.

Most of the changes will be driven by innovation and market forces, Crist said, at no cost to taxpayers. But tax incentives are likely. One way Montana is fostering energy independence is to virtually eliminate property taxes for manufacturers of clean technology, such as wind turbines and electric cars. Crist said when he heard that idea, "I wrote it down."

Crist may be too glib in brushing off critics on the green-energy issue, but he can't be accused of lacking energy.