The Invading Sea
  • Newsletter
  • Editorials
  • Influencers
  • In The News
  • How To Help
  • FAQ
  • Resources
  • About
No Result
View All Result
  • Newsletter
  • Editorials
  • Influencers
  • In The News
  • How To Help
  • FAQ
  • Resources
  • About
No Result
View All Result
The Invading Sea - South Florida's Challenge
No Result
View All Result

Florida’s power regulators can help consumers save money by setting sensible conservation goals

Susan Glickman and George Cavros, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy by Susan Glickman and George Cavros, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
May 29, 2019
in Influencers
0
Climate change is here, and local leaders in Florida are leading the fight

solar panels

We’re headed into summer and in South Florida we can already feel the temperature changing. Look, we all feel the heat, and top scientists predict it will get worse.

The 2018 National Climate Assessment — released by 13 agencies that are part of the Trump Administration — found that the Southeast U.S. is already experiencing more and longer summer heat waves. Experts say that by 2050, as global temperatures rise, the heat and humidity could make it feel like 105 degrees or even more as much as half of the year.

The medical community is sounding the alarm about the health risks associated with rising temperatures. It includes longer allergy seasons, mosquito-borne diseases as well as heat-related illnesses.

Susan Glickman

Since it’s getting hotter and our air conditioners are running longer and harder, that means we’re all using more electricity. That’s why at this time of year, Florida families will be hit with their highest power bills.

We all want to keep our home cool for ourselves and our families, yet we shouldn’t have to break the bank to do it.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could set the thermostat at a more comfortable temperature and not increase our utility bill? Making improvements, sometime minor ones, can help you use energy smarter.

There’s actually an easy way to do it. In fact, the law requires it. The state’s biggest power companies are supposed to help you save energy but in reality, they don’t.

But there’s an opportunity and it only happens once every five years when the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) — one of the most important agencies you’ve never heard of — sets conservation goals for the state’s largest utilities determining the scale of the programs the utilities will offer customers.

George Cavros

The PSC also sets rates for the states’ big power companies and approves the need for new power plants. Establishing meaningful conservation goals would help avoid the need to build new plants. The fact is, your bill goes up when the cost for a new power plant is added to it.

Protecting your wallet is only one of the reasons conserving energy is important. Reducing energy waste will also reduce the emissions from power plants that are threatening our quality of life.

Yet, Florida trails almost every state in the nation in capturing energy savings for customers through utility programs. Truth is, your utility should be working harder to help you save energy and money. Unfortunately, there’s a dangerous trend where power companies are walking away from their responsibility to help families reduce energy use and stop energy waste.

And while we all want a more comfortable home, it’s often the families that live month to month that are most at risk when they don’t get the information or financial resources they need to make smart investments in their homes. Measures as basic as sealing drafty windows, insulating attics, maintaining air-conditioning units and checking ducts to make sure they’re not leaking would go a long way to helping families keep more of their money.

This brings us back to the PSC, which gutted the state’s conservation goals in 2014 at the request of the utilities. This year, some of those same power companies have proposed goals for the next five years at zero or close to zero.

As a state, we can and should do better. The PSC should not allow big power companies to ignore the needs of customers. That’s why the Miami-Dade County Commission just passed a resolution calling on the PSC to set meaningful efficiency goals in the 2019 Florida Energy Conservation Act proceedings.

Cutting energy waste is also the cheapest, quickest and cleanest solution to reduce emissions and tackle the threats posed by the warming climate, such as sea-level rise.

State policy makers should be solidly behind cutting waste, allowing consumers to make their homes safely comfortable, while protecting our environment. It all starts with setting meaningful conservation goals this summer.

In Florida, where so many families are working hard just to get by, anything short of a full commitment by power companies to help customers reduce energy waste should be rejected by the Commission.

Susan Glickman is the Florida Director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and George Cavros is thePolicy Attorney for the alliance.

“The Invading Sea” is a collaboration of four South Florida media organizations — the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post and WLRN Public Media.

 

Tags: southern alliance for clean energy
Previous Post

Gov. DeSantis is taking bold steps to address climate change. Even Rick Scott says it’s real. Now what?

Next Post

Climate change making east coast of the U.S. vulnerable to stronger hurricanes, study says

Related Posts

Seminole teenager among young Floridians who addressed U.N. climate conference in Madrid
Influencers

Seminole teenager among young Floridians who addressed U.N. climate conference in Madrid

December 13, 2019
Governments are beginning to realize they can’t protect everyone from the rising sea, but are buyouts the best solution?
Influencers

Governments are beginning to realize they can’t protect everyone from the rising sea, but are buyouts the best solution?

December 13, 2019
South Florida’s leaders must take bold action now to save the region from the threats posed by the warming climate
Influencers

South Florida’s leaders must take bold action now to save the region from the threats posed by the warming climate

December 11, 2019
Leaders in the Florida Keys recognize the challenges they face from the warming climate and are working together to tackle them
Influencers

Leaders in the Florida Keys recognize the challenges they face from the warming climate and are working together to tackle them

December 9, 2019
Adults must support their kids’ efforts to promote solutions to the climate crisis
Influencers

Adults must support their kids’ efforts to promote solutions to the climate crisis

December 5, 2019
Study says outdoor recreation benefits national and state economy and is growing rapidly
Influencers

Study says outdoor recreation benefits national and state economy and is growing rapidly

December 2, 2019
Next Post
Media Roundup: Hurricane Florence; Climate leadership; Megafires and Trump; Political waves over sea level

Climate change making east coast of the U.S. vulnerable to stronger hurricanes, study says

Discussion about this post

Newsletter

Get weekly e-mail updates from The Invading Sea project, including the news, editorials and expert opinions on the threat South Florida faces from sea-level rise.

About The Project

The Invading Sea is a collaboration by the editorial boards of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post — with reporting by WLRN Public Media — to address the threat South Florida faces from sea-level rise. We want to raise awareness, amplify the voice of our region and create a call to action that can't be ignored. Read More
Miami Herald logo Palm Beach Post logo South Florida Sun Sentinel logo WLRN logo

Watch How The Water Will Rise

sea level rise map
See what happens to your neighborhood as the sea level rises with this interactive map.

Plus: Check out more resources on sea level rise.

WLRN News Audio

Temperatures In Florida Are Rising. For Vulnerable Patients, The Heat Can Be Life-Threatening

by Susan Glickman and George Cavros, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
January 21, 2019
0
Temperatures In Florida Are Rising. For Vulnerable Patients, The Heat Can Be Life-Threatening

On a hot day in September, Charlene Jones celebrated her 61st birthday by herself. The former nursing-home cook made herself...

Read more

Workshop Guides Florida Educators On Teaching Climate Change And Its Human Impacts

by Susan Glickman and George Cavros, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
December 8, 2018
0
Workshop Guides Florida Educators On Teaching Climate Change And Its Human Impacts

Florida teachers are eager to teach kids about sea-level rise, rising heat and other impacts of climate change, but many...

Read more

Video

Video: Southeast Florida Climate Compact

by Susan Glickman and George Cavros, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
January 10, 2019
0
Video: Southeast Florida Climate Compact

Rosemary O'Hara, editorial page editor for the Sun-Sentinel along with Tom O'Hara, editor of The Invading Sea discuss the threat...

Read more

Jack Black’s ‘Saving Miami’ Documentary

by Susan Glickman and George Cavros, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
December 22, 2017
0
Jack Black’s ‘Saving Miami’ Documentary

Actor Jack Black explores South Florida's looming sea level crisis in the riveting documentary 'Saving Miami' for the Emmy-winning climate...

Read more

On Facebook

On Twitter

Search

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

© 2019 The Invading Sea.

No Result
View All Result
  • Newsletter
  • Editorials
  • Influencers
  • In The News
  • How To Help
  • FAQ
  • Resources
  • About

© 2019 The Invading Sea.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In