For years, Florida lawmakers, energy producers and consumers have been interested in developing a renewable energy policy to help wean the state off fossil fuels, but despite their efforts, meaningful renewable policy has failed to make it to the governor's desk.

For years, proponents of renewable energy have lobbied for mandates to jump-start Florida's renewable market, but one investor-owned utility (IOU) sees a solar future, voluntarily.

While BP's oil gusher is an unmitigated disaster for the Gulf of Mexico, a Clean Energy Summit in Orlando warned Thursday that Florida has a power crisis in the making.

Organizers of a Florida Energy Summit convening in Orlando on Thursday say they aim to "educate policymakers and citizens on the urgency of clean energy."

One key target audience is the Florida Legislature, which summiteers hope will finally enact a renewable-energy bill.

Those hopes were energized when Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolis agreed to moderate a series of panel discussions at the daylong forum.