Chambers for Innovation 7/7/23 Chambers for Innovation 7/7/23

Florida Power Line: Volume 2 July 2023

Take a look at recent Florida legislation and news.

Chambers in the News

Florida Chambers of Commerce are Leading their Communities in Resiliency & Sustainability Efforts

In one of the country’s most vulnerable areas, the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is leading its community in this endeavor, recently organizing a trip to Lee County to learn from the chambers and cities still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.

Sunbridge project shows importance of thinking solar | Lake Nona Regional Chamber Op-Ed

The 27,000-acre development will feature 23,000 single-family homes and 13,000 multifamily residences, and every house built will incorporate solar energy.

Policy

Recap of the 2023 Florida Legislative Session

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy and Lake Area Economic Development (LEAD) co-hosted an update summarizing the clean energy, resilience, and sustainability outcomes from the recent Florida Legislative Session. The recap featured State Senator Jason Brodeur, chair, Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government.

Tampa becomes the latest Florida city to unveil a climate action plan

Approximately two years in the making, Tampa officials on Friday unveiled a 156-page "Climate Action and Equity Plan, becoming the latest local government in Florida to lay out a path to transition to renewable energy and increase the city's resilience to the effects of climate change.

Senate Bill 284

The aim of Senate Bill 284 was to update the metric by which Florida governmental agencies measure vehicle operational costs and make purchase decisions. Today this cost is measured in miles per gallon. With the advent of hydrogen and electricity as vehicle fuel sources (along with gasoline), the goal was to switch to a metric for total cost of ownership. Senate Bill 284 was passed, but for one vote, unanimously by the legislature and subsequently vetoed by Governor DeSantis on 28 June. The Governor did not provide comment on why he chose to veto the bill, but stay tuned as it will possibly be back again next session. Click here to learn more about the issues and veto.

Inflation Reduction Act in Action

Good Jobs, Great Cities

City leaders are presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in their communities thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic federal investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

How Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits Benefit Florida

Federal clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are transforming the United States economy, already generating nearly $250 billion in project announcements that could create more than 140,000 new jobs. Prior modeling by Energy Innovation Policy & Technology LLC® showed IRA tax credits are projected to unleash billions in investment by 2030, increasing GDP up to $200 billion and creating up to 1.3 million jobs nationally.

For More Information

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy is happy to provide further information and education for your membership on the above policy or any of the other energy related news. For follow up, contact anne@chambersforinnovation.com.

Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy

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