 Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles
H. Bronson is taking steps to promote alternative energy and help position
Florida as a leader in the field of biofuels. Bronson is hosting a conference
to bring together the various elements critical to successful alternative
energy programs to be held Aug. 31-Sept. 1 in Orlando. The event will serve as
a forum for researchers, industry representatives and policy-makers to discuss
the production, distribution and use of biofuels, particularly ethanol, in
Florida.
“With gas prices near record levels and demand for cheaper and
cleaner alternatives growing, we hope to bring together the necessary parties
to make production and distribution of ethanol and biodiesel a reality in
Florida,” Bronson said. “The time for discussing the need for alternative
energies is over, now we must take steps to bring the ideas to fruition.”
Several companies have already announced plans to build ethanol
plants in Florida and a number of others have expressed interest. Bronson
hosted a conference in January in Tallahassee where he discussed his department’s
“Farm to Fuel” program, as well as the national “25 by ’25” program which seeks
to have the nation’s agriculture industry producing 25 percent of the energy
consumed in the United States by the year 2025. Bronson’s Farm to Fuel Program
is designed to assist Florida farmers and ranchers in producing biofuel crops
to reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil.
“Locating ethanol production facilities here will reduce our
dependency on petroleum, offer a more economical alternative, and create jobs
and economic development,” Bronson said. “In addition, this will expand markets
for our agriculture industry in the form of energy crops and productive use of
agricultural waste products.”
The conference comes on the heels of the Florida Legislature
passing comprehensive energy legislation, much of which is directed toward promoting
renewable energy and providing a number of grants and incentives programs.
For more information about the “Farm to Fuel” program and the
Orlando conference, visit http://www.florida-agriculture.com/farmtofuel.htm.
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