'Gettin' Schooled'

Yesterday we posted a link to a story out of Florida stating that the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association had sided with Big Oil, saying that revenue from offshore oil and natural gas production could help provide revenue for programs that invest in renewable energy technologies. We termed this a 'sell out.'

Today, other environmental organizations, including Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Environmental Defense Fund came to the same conclusion.

The association's decision "to trade Florida's coast to the drillers for the pittance of future, undefined and unbankable amounts of solar rebate money is the most shockingly self-interested, embarrassing and sad politcal moves I have seen in my over 10 years working on conservation in Florida," Gerald Karnas, Florida climate project director for the Environmental Defense Fund, wrote in an e-mail to Florida Solar Energy Industries Association's President Bruce Kershner. "Was that the best deal you could cut? Rebate money 10 years from now?" Karnas said. "On a basketball court that's called 'gettin' schooled.' "

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