Florida § 377.601 - Legislative intent.

§ 377.601. Legislative intent.

(1) The purpose of the state’s energy policy is to ensure an adequate, reliable, and cost-effective supply of energy for the state in a manner that promotes the health and welfare of the public and economic growth. The Legislature intends that governance of the state’s energy policy be efficiently directed toward achieving this purpose. (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the state’s energy policy must be guided by the following goals: (a) Ensuring a cost-effective and affordable energy supply. (b) Ensuring adequate supply and capacity. (c) Ensuring a secure, resilient, and reliable energy supply, with an emphasis on a diverse supply of domestic energy resources. (d) Protecting public safety. (e) Protecting the state’s natural resources, including its coastlines, tributaries, and waterways. (f) Supporting economic growth. (3) In furtherance of the goals in subsection (2), it is the policy of the state to: (a) Promote the cost-effective development and use of a diverse supply of domestic energy resources in the state and discourage energy waste. (b) Promote the cost-effective development and maintenance of energy infrastructure that is resilient to natural and manmade threats to the security and reliability of the state’s energy supply. (c) Reduce reliance on foreign energy resources. (d) Include energy reliability and security considerations in all state, regional, and local planning. (e) Utilize and manage effectively energy resources used within state agencies. (f) Encourage local governments to include energy considerations in all planning and to support their work in promoting energy management programs. (g) Include the full participation of citizens in the development and implementation of energy programs. (h) Consider in its decisions the energy needs of each economic sector, including residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and governmental uses, and reduce those needs whenever possible. (i) Promote energy education and the public dissemination of information on energy and its impacts in relation to the goals in subsection (2). (j) Encourage the research, development, demonstration, and application of domestic energy resources, including the use of renewable energy resources. (k) Consider, in its decisionmaking, the impacts of energy-related activities on the goals in subsection (2), including the whole-life-cycle impacts of any potential energy use choices, so that detrimental effects of these activities are understood and minimized. (l) Develop and maintain energy emergency preparedness plans to minimize the effects of an energy shortage within this state.