(LibertySons.org) – On March 2, 2021, Democrats in the US House of Representatives introduced the CLEAN Future Act, a bill intended to transform the country from current energy sources to 100% zero-emissions sources by 2035.
While that bill remains in Congress, the idea of ditching fossil fuels, such as coal, and moving on to only using renewable energy is nothing new. It is something scientists and energy experts have been discussing for decades.
People on both sides of the issue keep going back and forth with legislation, and most of the movement is occurring at the state level. A good example is when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1128/HB 919 (Preemption Over Restriction of Utility Services) into law on June 21, 2021.
The Florida Energy Law
Florida’s new energy bill prohibits cities from taking any actions to halt the use of an energy production source. For example, a city cannot ban the use of electricity generated at a nuclear power plant. Likewise, it cannot say the only electricity an area can use is wind-generated. Local governments also cannot tell power companies where to get their energy.
The law will invalidate any legislation already on the books before July 1, 2021, when it takes effect. The bill does exempt government-owned entities from the restrictions.
There are excellent reasons why the Florida legislature put forth the bill and wants to help prevent a mandatory push by local governments to abandon fossil fuels. Supporters champion this as a way to help avoid unnecessary restrictions on energy companies and put the power back in their hands to control the choice of fuel. They also believe it will reduce the unfair application of rigid rules and regulations while also increasing business opportunities.
Evidence Supporting a Cautious Approach to Clean Energy
Contrary to popular opinion, moving cautiously towards replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources isn’t focused exclusively on preserving jobs and profits related to the oil and gas industries. There are valid concerns about renewable energy and how it can effectively serve the people.
Perhaps the biggest problem with renewable energy is that the current technology to harness and transform it into usable products is not always constant. Many systems rely on specific weather conditions, and due to this, have limits in function.
Additionally, storage is tricky and requires a lot of batteries to avoid outages. The power grid requires a balance in supply and demand, which current renewable energy technology cannot consistently deliver in most locations.
Additionally, the technology is expensive. Transferring a municipality’s energy from one source to another will likely drive up costs making it unsuitable for lower-income households.
Pushing legislation to switch to renewable sources has to account for these challenges. However, that is not what usually happens, which means leaders, such as DeSantis, have to step in to ensure energy security for citizens by legislative means.
Recent Failures in the Renewable Grid
Southern states, particularly Texas, have already seen serious failures in the clean energy grid during a freak winter storm early in 2021. The Lone Star State saw a dramatic energy collapse due to storms that brought incredibly low temperatures and freezing rain to many regions.
The storm froze about half of the wind turbines supplying the state. With wind power providing 23% of the energy in Texas as of 2020, it is the second-largest energy source. The failure of this renewable energy system was catastrophic, and people lost their lives.
Governor DeSantis is looking out for all Florida citizens with SB 1128. It helps to ensure that no Florida municipality relies entirely on one energy source, needlessly putting residents at risk.
Until renewable energy becomes more reliable and affordable, it is not possible to shift entirely away from the use of fossil fuels. Saving the environment at the cost of human lives is not a viable trade-off by any stretch of the imagination.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
Copyright 2021, LibertySons.org
