http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4669473.htmlTALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida would have the most stringent renewable energy requirements for electricity generation in the nation, under a bill to be considered Thursday by a Senate committee.
The Senate's energy plan would require half of new electricity in Florida to be generated with renewable energies such as biomass, wind and solar by 2017. The Sunshine State currently generates less than 10 percent of its electricity using nuclear power and other renewable fuels, instead relying primarily on natural gas, coal and petroleum _ all fossil fuels.
The 50 percent figure may change during upcoming negotiations, but it signals that some state lawmakers want Florida to join at least 20 other states and the District of Columbia, which currently have renewable portfolio standards for electricity production. Minnesota, for example, has a requirement of 25 percent by 2025 _ the highest percentage of any state to date, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
"I think it's very bold to set an aggressive goal like that," said Susan Glickman, a consultant for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "I think it will certainly cause people to look at what's in the realm of the possible for Florida."
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