Governor DeSantis: A Beacon of Rational Policy Against Ideological Zealotry
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has once again demonstrated his unwavering commitment to practical and rational governance by signing into law a series of bills designed to counter the prevailing tide of ideological narratives that have infiltrated energy policy and economic investments. This legislative action is a refreshing departure from the often dogmatic approaches seen in other states, bringing a much-needed focus on practicality and economic sense.
Rescinding Unnecessary Climate Directives
At the core of these legislative measures is a clear-eyed rejection of radical climate agenda directives. The new laws place a greater emphasis on nuclear energy and natural gas, which are both reliable and cost-effective sources of energy. DeSantis has consistently championed policies that prioritize the economic well-being of Floridians, and this move underscores his dedication to maintaining affordable energy prices and enhancing energy security.
“The legislation I signed today [will] keep windmills off our beaches, gas in our tanks, and China out of our state,” the governor said. “We’re restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots”.
https://flvoicenews.com/desantis-signs-laws-slashing-climate-agenda-directives-targeting-adversary-investments/
By focusing on nuclear energy, which has a proven track record of safety and efficiency, and expanding natural gas resources, Florida is set to benefit from a more stable and sustainable energy infrastructure. This pragmatic approach contrasts sharply with the impracticalities of over-reliance on intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar.
Banning Investments with Adversary Links
One of the standout elements of the new legislation is the prohibition of state holdings in companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party and those utilizing forced labor. This move is a strategic and ethical decision that aligns with national security interests and human rights standards. The financial entanglement with adversarial nations and unethical practices is a concern that has often been overlooked in the rush to globalize investments.
“The legislation also encourages the expansion of natural gas resources throughout the state”.
https://flvoicenews.com/desantis-signs-laws-slashing-climate-agenda-directives-targeting-adversary-investments/
The legislative package includes HB 7071, which prevents the State Board Administration from accepting direct holdings of Chinese companies on behalf of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund. Additionally, a thorough review of existing investments will ensure that Floridian funds are not inadvertently supporting adversary nations or unethical labor practices.
Enhancing Energy Policy and Economic Focus
The emphasis on economic evaluation and technical feasibility in energy policy is a hallmark of Governor DeSantis’s administration. The new laws mandate a comprehensive study of nuclear power technologies, ensuring that Florida’s energy future is not only secure but also economically viable.
“The proposal rescinds a phrase directing the state to address ‘the potential of global climate change.’ The bill also requires the state to study and evaluate the potential technical and economic advantages of using nuclear power technologies”.
https://flvoicenews.com/desantis-signs-laws-slashing-climate-agenda-directives-targeting-adversary-investments/
By stripping away directives that were more ideological than practical, the state can now focus on real-world solutions that offer tangible benefits. This approach will likely serve as a model for other states grappling with the balance between environmental stewardship and economic vitality.
Protecting Florida’s Interests
Governor DeSantis’s decisive actions are a testament to his commitment to protecting Florida’s interests against both ideological and foreign threats. The inclusion of provisions to ban state contracts with companies involved in forced labor further highlights his administration’s stance on maintaining ethical and secure economic practices.
“The bill requires the Department of Management Services to create and maintain a forced labor vendor list of companies that have been disqualified from public contracting for 365 days and to publish an updated version of the list on a quarterly basis”.
https://flvoicenews.com/desantis-signs-laws-slashing-climate-agenda-directives-targeting-adversary-investments/
This initiative not only ensures that state funds are used responsibly but also sends a strong message about Florida’s ethical standards in business operations.
Conclusion
Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent legislative measures are a bold affirmation of rational policy-making in an era often dominated by ideological extremes. By focusing on reliable energy sources, ethical investments, and practical governance, DeSantis is leading Florida towards a more stable and prosperous future. These laws are not just a win for Floridians but a beacon for other states to follow in crafting policies that prioritize common sense over ideology.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
_______________________________________________________________
HUZZAH! Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!
Re no windmills off beaches. Correctly estimated, on shore wind LCOE is about 2.5x CCGT. Details over at Judith’s in old guest post True Cost of Wind. EIA says (probably too hopefully) that off shore wind is ‘only’ 3x on shore. So 7.5x CCGT. As DeSantis says, go natgas.
Factoid. FPL just announced another significant electricity rate cut in south Florida (including us), mainly this time because Henry Hub natgas price is down about 20% over last year despite increased LNG exports. A few years ago FPL replaced two very old resid fired steam generating stations (together 4GW) in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale with two new CCGT (together about 4.5GW). Bonus here was that because of CCGT flexibility, they were also able to shut 6 old summer standby gas peakers. The combo resulted in their first big rate cut a while back after the new CCGT came on line.
While this sound more reasonable than the ‘shut down and blow up coal burning generating plants’ practices seen too many other places, there is no information here as to whether Florida is getting the least ahead with new generation facilities, that is not just replacing existing older plants but actually building for the expected increased electricity demands.
Florida actually consumes about 7 times as much energy (petroleum, natural gas, coal, solar, and nuclear) than Florida produces. That is a function of the fact that Florida does not have a lot of energy resources, and Florida is the nation’s second largest tourism destination after California, with tourist visits outnumbering residents by more than 6:1. But electrical generating capacity has been such that only a net 3% of electrical power consumed in state is imported from other states. There does not seem to be any issues with the grid here in Florida. Most of the electrical power generation comes from private utilities or cooperative utilities rather than government owned utilities.
I bet those CCGTs are running a lot due to cost differential between nat gas and residual oil and almost double the efficiency.
One biggie looming is federal regs and such for permitting our nuclear plants and repairing them.
We use them to process salt water and give our rain-nourished aquifer a little help.
Our nukes have served us well for decades, and no way can windmills help. Our big solar PV installations help, but we still have the storage problem.
Glad to live here versus in some of the blue states ruled by ingnorant pols and cultists.
Gums sends…
I hope we are seeing the makings of our 49th President.
I agree. I was hoping for the battle to be between 2 middle age white males- one being DeSantis. Then we could have a real debate- then DeSantis would win. Time to dump these old geezers. I think they’re both demented and well past ripe. I read DeSantis book and liked it very much. Seems very sane and very smart. Very common sense oriented and not ideological.
The big hit “against” DeSantis this time around was that he wasn’t showy enough. I’d rather have practical than showmanship any day of the week.
Our best presidents were not showy.
Frankly I do not care if they are white, brown, black, or purple so long as they are not green. I also do not care if they are male or female or whatever flavor of the month is the rave.
I do care that they are honest and competent and willing to do the work in determining what is best for everyone.
Other that the “2 middle age white males” criteria, I fully concur with your thoughts.
Interesting nuclear development today. Poland took the first step toward permitting the first Rolls Royce SMR. 90% factory built modules shippable by rail or truck, 470MWe, PWR. First factory is planned but won’t be built until permitting is closer to conclusion. Poland is targeting 2026 for firm final approval if no kinks develop. Will use 80% off the shelf components and a virtually all UK supply chain (probably to get government funding support). RR website is a bit shy on other technical details.
Puts RR well ahead of Nuscale, whose first US SMR utility deal fell apart last month over increasing cost and longer timing than originally promised.
So they have one powerpoint sheet more. 😛
Won’t be build. All hype, lost taxpayer money, and in the end poland will go renewables like the rest of europe. And Asia. And South America. And Australia. And Africa.
And if the us keeps their current president, they too.
Asia and Africa are “going coal,” and will continue to do so. As reality sinks in on “western” nations, they’ll “go” gas, or nuclear, or as we have already seen, back to coal to keep the lights on.
The “lost taxpayer money” is every dollar (or other denomination) squandered on “renewables.”
If you mean Germany, they moved away from cooal again after the short period where “reliable” gas was cut off.
India and China are now in a race to build up their photovoltaics industries. Same with China and Europe in the case of wind.
Africa will be a huge market for chinese PV, EVs and High-speed trains. They already try to build their own EV industries.
And nuclear is dead in the west. Even after the pompous declaration about trippling nuclear at the last cop absolutly nothing has happened, except begging for tax money to keep the current geriatric fleet running for a few more years, before it descents into irrelevance.
Guess what ?
China installed 217GW of solar during 2023 bringing it’s share of total capacity to 20.9%.. But solar’s share of electricity generation was just 3% of China’s electricity during 2023 “reflecting low solar capacity utilisation rates”
Meanwhile China added another 58GW of coal fired power and coal produced 70% of the country’s electricity.
As you are so into wind you will be pleased to know that it managed to produce only 9% of China’s electricity in 2023.
Climate Energy Finance ‘2023 China Electricity Mix Yearly Review’ (30.1.2024)
Also sparks loudly for Solar Generation Capacity vs Nameplate Capacity and how solar only functions 4 hours a day at best (less in winter) …and only during Off Peak usage times producing ZERO energy when its most needed
China’s electricity generation.
Wind and solar are barely visible..
China added 47GW of coal in 2023, double the amount of the rest of the world combined.
You are either totally delusional… or a deliberate LIAR.
Luser thinks China and India don’t use electricity at night…. hilariously dumb.
Here is Indias electricity supply.
Note the massive climb in coal use over the last few years
COAL RULES.
Propaganda doesn’t work here Griff
The RR design is currently the only one through the first phase of UK approval by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. RR build reactors for nuclear subs – which this isn’t – but they do know what they are doing. GE Hitachi and Holtec have also submitted designs but are a couple of years behind in the UK process.
Meanwhile, 5GW of nuclear plants have gone online in the world so far this year and just 1GW closed. Construction on a further 4.5GW started to date. Even the US started one up.
Data from PRIS and ONR.
You do so well with predictions. Tell me what the next Mega Millions numbers will be.
No modern civilization will EVER “go renewables.” They can ADD “renewables,” but since they REQUIRE 100% backup, all “renewables” do is make the grid less reliable and more expensive. IOW, a waste of resources and money.
If done right, renewables can complement other energy sources without making any negative impacts, but that is a niche application.
Mandates, forced conversions, no strategic planning, all of those embrace negative results regardless of the approach. That is driven by ideology, not engineering, not project management, just ideology. Period.
This is another case of one size fits all mentally constrained thinking. It is actually a square peg in a round hole decision.
Failure is not left to chance.
The real lost taxpayer money is in the huge subsidies to get wind and solar virtue-seeking installed.
Will only last 15 years or so, then have to be replaced.. again, with subsidies.
And for a lot of time they provide basically NOTHING.
Wind and solar are a LOSS-MAKING venture for everyone except the renewable scammers.
This is great news for Florida, and serves as a stark contrast to my home state of NY.
“At the core of these legislative measures is a clear-eyed rejection of radical climate agenda directives. The new laws place a greater emphasis on nuclear energy and natural gas, which are both reliable and cost-effective sources of energy.”
Perfect.
Rejoice:
Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project wins construction approval in New York
https://www.evwind.es/2024/05/17/equinors-empire-wind-1-offshore-wind-project-wins-construction-approval-in-new-york/98515
At what cost? Every offshore wind project off the east coast has been cancelled or contracts renegotiated to get higher subsidies or raise electricity rates. Hochul is simply another detached from reality leftist..
No worries. They will be back at the till asking for more all too soon.
There has yet to be any solar or wind project delivered on time and budget.
No excuses.
Political leaders at all levels need to follow DeSantis’s example and make a top priority out of providing reliable, affordable energy sources available to their citizens. Unfortunately there are too many who have allowed themselves to be pressured into adopting actions that supposedly will save the environment when in reality they do nothing except to drive up living costs and introduce new inconveniences.
It’s why Hochul won’t be remembered fondly while DeSantis will be.
California’s Newsom announced that due to the state’s projected budget shortfall it will have to cutback spending on ‘climate related issues’ and other Progressive hot points. All that virtue signaling can’t put money in the coffers after all.
Weren’t the ‘climate related issues’ an EMERGENCY?
The budget crisis is a higher emergency as it affects now the pocketbooks of the politicians.
If only he would get rid of the hundreds of acres of solar panels that have been built along I10.
DeSantis needs to be cloned. Australia could use a dozen of the clones to start getting Australia onto a sensible track.
Australia is intimately tied to the fortunes of China but there is an over reliance and not a lot of trust.
G’Day Rick
“…to start getting Australia onto a sensible track”
From “Sydney Morning Herald”, morning edition, May 17 – via a ‘Headlines’ email:
“Two more energy distributors will join Ausgrid in charging households with solar panels to export power to the grid during the middle of the day, affecting nearly 1 million households.”
A sensible track? Sounds like they need all the help they can get.
Well that actually sounds like good news.
Stop paying exorbitant prices for low quality electricity delivered mostly when not needed, and sticking the people who aren’t stupid enough to “go solar” when it does nothing but make the grid less reliable and more expensive, with the bill.
And DISINCENTIVE for worse-than-useless wind and solar is a good thing.
Am I reading this correctly? Those who invested in solar panels now have to PAY to export power to the grid?
Need to slash the EPA
Dear Mr. DeSantis, I am a Brit, and have been lucky enough to visit your fair state about a dozen times and I love it. Things over here in England are getting intolerable with all our politicians pushing the net zero nonsense. Can I make a formal application for asylum?
Get a visa, work permit, and residence permit, come over, then start the process to be naturalized. Takes about 3 years.
Oh, and be sure to learn how to communicate in English. It helps. ;-))
Halla-farking-luiah. Now all that’s left to bring Florida to full rationality, is to cut state funding to every K-12 and especially university that teaches political advocacy. No politics on public money.
DeSantis has signed legislation that addresses those issues – especially the woke sexualization of children. More needs to be done, but he addresses such issues pragmatically – something rare in our over-politicized world these days.
I follow @realchrisrufo on X. To your point, he has been influential in a good way in FL with support from DeSantis.
I wonder if DeSantis will open up Western Florida Gulf Waters to Oil development then???
For sure cfact will rally against it to save the whales…
Do you have any evidence whatsoever that oil development harms the whales ?
It is not as though oil platforms make infrasound that interferes with whale navigation.
Funny that you are all for off-shore wind, hypocritical as well as totally delusional.
Hopefully CFACT Rallies as well to protect those same whales against offshore wind development…the Whales true nemesis.
I want DeSantis appointed head of the EPA and eliminate the top fifty positions. If he doesn’t see cooperation he can eliminate the next top fifty positions and so on until he has a crew that will work with him.
Gov DeSantis has a big job already as governor of Florida. He has no interest in any Federal job but President, and that includes Vice President which is a worthless non-job job. He finishes his last term in 2 years, positioning him perfectly to run full time for the 2028 election when neither of the long-past-sell-by-date geezers now running will be eligible to run again.
He would make a great Attorney General and don’t rule that out.
AGs don’t get elected President. His only interest as he has stated is the Presidency.
At 88 years, I am still doing all of the (rural living) chores I did at 55… stick your “long-past-sell-date geezers” up your soft tube.
You aren’t a President of the United States, so stick your pro-geezerism up your colostomy bag.
Those climate experts over at Vanity Fair think Desantis is ignoring science instead of ignoring whacko extremists…Typical VF crapola, if you subscribe please cancel…
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/ron-desantis-whose-state-is-literally-sinking-makes-ignoring-climate-science-official-florida-law#:~:text=Seems%20like%20a%20bad%20idea.&text=In%202023%2C%20water%20off%20the,12%20fatalities%20across%20the%20US.
When they get the nuclear powered desalinization plants up and running, the state will stop sinking as the need to draw ground water will be mitigated.
Amazed that Texas hasn’t already done the same, tbh.
Can anyone imagine Florida being reliant on wind turbines and solar when the next hurricane runs through the spine of the state like the hurricane of 2017 did? Florida would probably never recover.
Florida doesn’t have much wind generating capability because it is in the relatively calm “horse latitudes” between the trade winds to the south and windier conditions above 30 deg N. Florida does have quite a bit of solar capacity, ranked #4 in the nation in generating capacity.
Yet in 2023, Solar only produced around 5.4% of the state’s electricity.
Gas 75.8% and Nuclear 11.5% Coal 4.5%
Fossil Fuel still RULES. !
All of which is subject to destruction when a hurricane rolls through, as Ralph noted.
Ever hear of a coal, oil, gas or nuclear power station being demolished by the weather? I expect not. It is pure idiocy to build power production infrastructure that can be destroyed en masses by the weather.
There is no record of hurricanes destroying any solar arrays either.
The most destructive (in value of economic damages) hurricane in world history rolled thru southwest Florida a year and a half ago, where FPL’s largest solar array in the state is located at Babcock Ranch (FPL is the largest solar generating utility in the US). No significant damage was sustained to that array. The most destructive effects of hurricanes are sustained in coastal areas (highest winds plus storm surge). Solar arrays are not located in coastal areas because the land is far too expensive. Solar arrays are located on cheap rural inland parcels.
Hurricanes would naturally be destructive to wind turbines particularly offshore, but not solar panels.
By far the biggest damage occurs to the power transmission grid during hurricanes. Regardless of the generator source. Having personally been in the path of multiple major hurricanes land falling in Florida over the last two decades, loss of power for weeks or longer was the biggest impact suffered by the largest number of victims in every hurricane.
Some slashing going down in Californy too-
Gavin Newsom roasted for praising California’s homeless response (msn.com)
More like chickens coming to roost but you gotta love the tattooed lady spruiking how other people’s money turned her life around. Those bumper stickers aint cheap.
Common sense from one of the top culture warriors out there. Sure. 🙄
Like everyone else in the west they won’t build new nuclear. But it feels good, and that’s important, right? 😀
Certainly more common sense than anything you have ever typed, which, of course, is always a load of gormless, ignorant BS.
Rational thought and common sense are a total mystery to you.
Florida: breakdown of the sources for utility-scale electricity generation in Florida for the full year 2023:
Natural Gas: 75.8%
Nuclear: 11.5%
Coal: 5.4%
Doesn’t leave much for erratic junk power, does it !
They have plenty of access to gas.. more nuclear not needed.
I’m just trying to fit in 😛
You are successful. 🙂
You cretinally fill the village idiot niche. !
Try harder. Use Common Sense.
I want Florida to secede and make DeSantis president for as long as he is willing to serve.
DC is corrupt beyond repair. If by some miracle Trump wins and republicans gain control of congress, they need to take a scorched earth approach to eliminate at least half of the 3 letter agencies and cut staff in half or more of all the others that make up too much of our federal bureaucracy. There are about 2.95 million federal government employees earning on average $143,643/year for a total price tag approaching $424 billion per year.
These are unelected bureaucrats who are writing the rules that govern our lives and are the ones actually running the show along with well funded lobbyists. Our elected officials are largely along for the ride and enriching themselves along the way
So you want a dictator.
Like desantis and the fossil fuel lobby with this decision here? Or do you think mr. no-shade law cares about human rights?
A benevolent, common sense dictator who fights against detached from reality fools like you. While Buyden may not be a dictator in name, our federal bureaucracy is imposing rules worse than many dictators. One example:
https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/epa-emissions-rule-will-strangle-ai-in-the-crib?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=630873&post_id=144707120&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=kv2ig&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Sun Tzu: “The supreme art of war is to subdue your enemy without fighting”. We are being subdued by an evil internal enemy known as the democratic party, aided by a corrupt bureaucracy and complicit and equally corrupt media. Open border policies, push to nut zero, EV mandates, over regulation, sexualization of children, supporting men competing in women’s sports, and the list goes on.
I’ll go with the fossil fuel lobby over the unreliables lobby. At least we will continue having a functioning grid as opposed to a grid crippled by wind and solar.
I see they prepared you just fine for a coming dictatorship.
Coming? We currently have one.
Why not? If Congressmen can serve for 40 years it’s almost the same thing
DiSantis cares more about humans than every member of the Democrat party combined. He wants his state to be successful, and the people without too many idiotic restrictions. He seeks to slow societies’ leftist degradations.
Basically everything Biden does harms humans… intentionally making life more and more difficult as he seeks to control everything to his far-left anti-human agenda.
Compare DeSantis to Buyden:
https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/epa-emissions-rule-will-strangle-ai-in-the-crib?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=630873&post_id=144707120&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=kv2ig&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Just one more illustration of how detached from reality Buyden and his handlers are. Of course, there is always the possibility that this is all by design meant to take down western governments – UK now proposing smart water meters to ration water, Australia proposing new electrical meters that will penalize homeowners for using too much given that wind and solar can’t keep up, and of course the total lunacy that is happening in Germany and the EU in general.
The Gov has to be one of the smartest and sanest politicians in America….!.
A state with reliable energy and sound finances. The anti-California.