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Tough greenhouse gas cuts recommended

ORLANDO - Despite objection from utility and business interests, the Florida Energy Commission on Monday pushed forward a plan that could slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

It was a slightly watered down version of the same plan Gov. Charlie Crist unveiled in July. The recommendation to the Legislature requires polluters to reduce emissions to 2000 levels by 2020, to 1990 levels by 2030 and to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. Crist's plan would have allowed three fewer years to meet the first goal and five fewer years to achieve 1990 levels.

"We acknowledge there's climate change, we acknowledge there's some human component to it, and we set targets through this recommendation," commissioner Todd Sack said.

The vote came after a consultant hired by the Florida Chamber of Commerce said Crist's recommendations would devastate the economy. Anne Smith, with Washington, D.C.-based CRA International, said Florida would lose 707,710 jobs in the next 43 years and billions in production under Crist's order.

To alleviate utility company concerns, the commission made sure the caps would be revisited in 2013.

Florida ranks third in the country in energy consumption, and contributes an estimated 0.6 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Critics said the plan wouldn't help unless the rest of the world also reduced pollution. The recommendations will be finalized and forwarded to the Legislature by January, but the commission will consider changes.

[Last modified November 20, 2007, 01:29:42]