Michael Dobson

The  Florida Legislature came a step closer to passing a renewable energy bill that rips apart all that the tea party stands for. The bill would forever assign renewable energy development and deployment solely to Florida’s regulated electric monopolies under the guise of supporting a green future.

The bill allows Florida Power & Light Co. and the rest of Florida 's largest utilities to single-handedly control all aspects of renewable energy in this state, effectively deciding what gets built, when, and by whom. Instead of opening up markets, it closes them, squelching competition. This bill isn't about the government working for the people to create more jobs and prosperity. And, it does not allow free markets to do what they do best.

Instead of allowing the industry to create jobs, SPB 7082 eliminates jobs by denying independent renewable-energy developers access to the electric grids. Many of these companies are homegrown businesses that have been serving Floridians for 30 years or more. Then, there are the independent, larger biomass, wind and seasoned utility scale solar developers hoping for a competitive renewable-energy market in Florida .

Leaving renewable energy development solely in the hands of monopolies is a colossal mistake. Additionally, SPB 7082 systematizes rate increases under a renewable-energy cost recovery formula. It gives utilities the ability to raise rates every year at the flip of a switch -- to the tune of hundreds of millions.

The bill also does a variety of other mind-boggling things that shows the Legislature's real intent. It eliminates the Florida Energy Office and Climate Change Commission to form a nebulous governmental entity that operates as a power unto itself, with very few requirements for transparency or public disclosure. It eliminates any reference to pursuing a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards policy.

It allows investor-owned utilities to get an unprecedented rate increase siphoned directly from ratepayers without the need for regulatory review, public input or approval. It flies in the face of everything this conservative writer knows and understands about free markets and open competition. It is the worst of government during the worst of times. It is government picking winners and losers. It is government choosing regulated monopolies over free and open competition.

This is downright weird, given that our legislative leaders are self-identified fiscal conservatives and free marketeers. While they have committed to reducing regulations, somehow they argue that reducing regulations which allow for a free-market and competitive renewable-energy industry is "deregulation." Nowhere else does the Florida Legislature say that. It even has a “deregulation” bill that will be the centerpiece of this session's accomplishments, worthy of bragging rights.

They further argue that creating a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard is a government mandate, while stipulating that monopoly control over what is currently a free market is not. The suggestion is that codifying future rate increases and appropriating all money to the utilities is somehow not a mandate, either. I hate to be the bearer of the truth but, the emperor has no clothes and is surely naked.

As someone who always saw renewable-energy policy as being at its best when we get government out of the way, this direction is dismaying. The tea party warned against this type of government, and they were right. Last year, this same bill was presented and eventually died (or was pulled back). The reason? It was an election year. This time around, the bill's supporters feel they could get it passed and YOU (the voter) will not remember in November 2012. It was a calculated decision to put it off for that very reason. It could have been passed last year, but the political consequences were not worth the risk.