Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos will lead a summit on the development of clean energy in Florida in July, a newly-formed group announced Thursday.
Citizens for Clean Energy, which will hold its first summit July 8 in Orlando, tapped the incoming Senate President to lead the discussion on how Florida can develop more alternative energy fuels as the state continues to grapple with the massive oil spill in the Gulf coast. The group describes itself as “a coalition of leaders, organizations, and concerned Americans committed to supporting education and public policy change that advance clean energy jobs and technologies to improve both our economy and our environment.” Haridopolos said Thursday that he was drawn to the summit because it reminded him of a similar summit about job creation he held with House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon earlier this year. “It’s all geared toward solutions, not rhetoric,” he told reporters on a conference call. “It’s part of a methodical, thoughtful approach to not only creating more energy alternatives, but also national security. The less reliant on foreign oil, the better.”
However, Haridopolos added that he was still not sold on a possible special session this summer to ban oil drilling, which Gov. Charlie Crist has suggested could also include renewable energy legislation. Crist still has not made clear what he wanted to see lawmakers take up, Haridopolos said. “If it is to ban something that’s already been banned, I’m not that interested,” he said. “If the governor wants to call a special session, which he has the authority to do, he also has the responsibility to put a blueprint on the table, in my opinion, as opposed to Monday morning quarterbacking”
