Fueling Florida’s Future

The U.S.’s fourth most populous state with 1,000 people moving to the state each day, Florida is the nation’s third largest transportation fuels market. As of 2006, Floridians were using 8.6 billion gallons of gasoline per year and consumption is growing by 300 million gallons per year. One hundred percent of this gasoline is imported via ocean vessels, and the state has 1,800 miles of coastline. These factors combined leave Florida extremely vulnerable to disruptions in oil supply.

Governor Charlie Crist signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Governor José Serra of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, to enhance business and cultural exchange between the two states.

In addition to concerns over the state’s energy needs in the case of hurricanes and other supply disruptions, the emerging consensus on the need to reduce green house gas emissions and diversify our fuel matrix have made it imperative for the State of Florida to take action. In coordination with our partner the Interamerican Ethanol Commission (IEC), Gateway Florida, Inc. will continue to work with Governor Crist and other public and private officials and organizations from throughout the state to assure that Florida develops sound solutions to these environmental and energy issues.

Governor Crist’s leadership in this area of policy has been outstanding. Last July he signed three Executive Orders and two international partnership agreements at the “Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change,” setting forth ways the state can actively address global climate change and other energy issues. And in his 2008 State of the State address, Governor Crist emphasized the importance of alternative energy and Florida’s capacity to be a leader in renewable fuels, stating “We have the opportunity to enhance the use of this cleaner fuel [ethanol], while also providing a broader market for sugar cane and citrus waste.”

In addition, Governor Crist has put in a budget request this year of $200 million for green technologies and over the past two years Florida has invested over $50 million into ethanol production and research, with a significant portion of this money going towards projects to convert waste to fuel. On many occasions Governor Crist has reiterated that “Florida companies [are] leading the way in bringing about alternative sources of energy while helping its citizens, businesses and economy[…] bring[ing] us one step closer to a cleaner environment and energy independence.” With bipartisan support from Florida’s congressional delegation, the federal energy bill passed late last year calls for “advanced” sources of biofuels which will benefit Florida given that it is the biggest biomass state in the nation.

Governor Crist joins Ingo Krieg (left), President of Green Power Systems, and Alberto Grosso, President of Controlsud International Group, to announce a funding agreement between GPS subsidiary Renewable Fuels of Tallahassee LLC and the Controlsud International Group.

As Governor Crist encourages an expansion of biofuels, he has supported a reduction in the 54-cent-a-gallon tariff on imported ethanol. At a meeting at Sao Paulo's Industry Federation (FIESP), he stated that “We [Florida] are a gateway [for ethanol to the United States] and we're all about reducing taxes.” There have also been discussions of an E-10 mandate, which would require that all gasoline be mixed with ten percent ethanol.