Ah, Florida—the land of sunshine, palm trees, and apparently that most evil of all: fossil fuels. If you listen to Reuters' Gavin Maguire, you'd think the government's stubborn refusal to abandon natural gas and other fossil fuels has single-handedly brought about the apocalypse.
Maguire's article is both a journalistic report and an elegiac piece, portraying Florida as the villain in the story and the rest of the country as the heroes, heroically marching toward a green utopia. But here's the thing: Florida is in great shape, and the people who live there know it. Let’s uncover the absurdity of climate blame and see why Florida’s energy strategy is not just smart, it’s downright smart.
Fossil fuels: The workhorse of Florida’s energy grid
Maguire said Florida's reliance on fossil fuels will actually increase in 2024, a move he seemed to view as tantamount to environmental heresy. “Florida reverses energy transition by increasing fossil fuel use,” his caption wailed, as if the state had suddenly decided to buck gravity. But let’s face it: Fossil fuels, especially natural gas, are the backbone of Florida’s energy grid for one simple reason — they work. When the sun is shining brightly in the summer and everyone has their air conditioners turned on, no one wants to hear about a power outage because there is no wind or clouds are drifting over a solar farm.
Maguire noted that since early June, more than 80% of Florida's electricity has come from fossil fuels, the highest proportion in more than three years. He compares this to the national average of 62.4% and Texas' 62%, as if this somehow proves that Florida is the worst outlier. But let’s be honest: These are numbers that should make Floridians proud. While the rest of the country plays with unreliable renewable energy, Florida is making sure its citizens have a reliable, affordable energy supply.
The reality of renewable energy
Renewable energy sounds great on paper, doesn’t it? Free energy from the sun and wind—what’s not to love? But this is where the rubber meets the road: Renewable energy isn't ready for prime time, especially in a state like Florida where reliability is not just a luxury but a necessity. Imagine the chaos if millions of Floridians were plunged into sweltering heat because the sun decided to take a day off. Florida summers are no joke, and neither are the power demands. The National Grid needs to be as strong as a defender, not as fragile as a flower.
Florida isn't completely ignoring renewable energy. Florida Power & Light (FPL), Florida's largest utility, is leading the way in solar charging with a goal of installing 30 million solar panels by 2030. , rather than a substitute. That's why they're not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and discarded fossil fuels.
Fossil fuel bad guys
Maguire and his fellow climate alarmists would have you believe that fossil fuels are the devil incarnate and are responsible for every disease the planet faces. But this simplistic narrative ignores the fact that fossil fuels have driven human progress for centuries. Without them, we wouldn’t have modern transportation, health care, or even the ability to build the solar panels and wind turbines favored by the green crowd.
In the article, Maguire lamented that Florida's fossil fuel dependence has increased from 71.3% in 2023 to 77.2% in 2024, while other regions have reportedly made progress in reducing fossil fuel dependence. But here's the dirty little secret: These areas are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and they just like to sugarcoat it with green rhetoric to make themselves feel better. The fact is that until we develop a reliable and affordable way to store renewable energy, fossil fuels will continue to be the cornerstone of our energy system. The pragmatic state of Florida is not shy about admitting this.
Nuclear Power: Unsung Heroes
What’s even more ridiculous is that while climate critics are busy ranting about Florida’s use of fossil fuels, they are completely ignoring the state’s significant investment in nuclear power. Nuclear power is the cleanest, most reliable form of energy we have, and Florida is smart enough to embrace it. Power plants like Turkey Point and St. Lucie are quietly doing the heavy lifting, delivering carbon-free electricity around the clock, rain or shine.
However, nuclear is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about. Why? Because it doesn't fit the plot. Nuclear power doesn't require massive lifestyle changes or endless government subsidies – it just works. This is exactly why green elites tend to ignore it. It’s hard to sell doom and gloom when clean, reliable energy is available and doesn’t require us to upend our entire way of life.
The absurdity of climate alarmism
Let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The climate hysteria peddled by Maguire and others is more about control than science. By casting fossil fuels as an existential threat, they create a moral panic that justifies extreme measures that often enrich a few and impoverish the many.
Maguire seemed particularly annoyed that Florida was not following the rest of the country in what he called an “energy transition.” But let’s just call it that: energy downgrade. Switching from reliable fossil fuels and nuclear power to less reliable renewable energy sources is like trading in your SUV for a skateboard. Sure, it's stylish, but it won't get you where you need to go.
There is also the issue of energy poverty. Europe has shown us what happens when you go all-in on green energy with no backup plan – skyrocketing energy prices, blackouts and people freezing to death in their homes. To their credit, Florida leaders have avoided this fate by ensuring that their energy policies are grounded in reality, not ideology.
The future: innovation, not fear
So, what is the way forward? If you listen to the climate hysteria, the only answer is to stop using fossil fuels entirely, pour trillions into renewable energy, and hope for the best. But if you were Florida — and, frankly, if you were sensible — you would take a different approach. You focus on innovation, on developing new technologies that can actually deliver products without bankrupting the country or driving people into energy poverty.
Florida has become a leader in energy innovation. The state is home to research into advanced nuclear reactors, efficient and cost-effective solar energy projects and more. But instead of being praised for it, Florida has been criticized for not moving fast enough to adopt unproven technology. It's the equivalent of scolding someone for not jumping out of a perfectly good airplane just because someone else said the parachute “might” work.
Even so, Florida remains the third-fastest growing market for solar installations in the United States, with installation capacity climbing from 1,432 megawatts (MW) in 2018 to more than 10,000 MW in 2023, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
Net metering deals that pay households for excess power on the local grid look set to sustain future demand for small solar systems in Florida, with utilities deploying more large solar systems so far in 2024 than any other state. Impact assessment data.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/florida-reverses-energy-transition-by-cranking-fossil-fuel-use-maguire-2024-08-21/
bottom line
At the end of the day, Florida is doing what every state should do: putting its citizens first. The state’s energy policy is not about virtue signaling or pandering to the latest green fad, but about ensuring that people can live with affordable, reliable energy. This is something climate hysterics will never understand because their agenda is not to help people, but to control them.
So the next time you hear someone complaining about fossil fuel use in Florida, remember this: Florida isn’t lagging behind, it’s leading the way. While windmills and solar farms in other parts of the country can't even keep the lights on, Florida is making sure its people have the energy they need, when they need it. That's not backward – it's smart.
As for the likes of Gavin Maguire, they can continue to cry over Florida's energy choices. Meanwhile, the Sunshine State will continue to shine, powered by a variety of energy sources that are reliable, affordable and, most importantly, efficient. Because in the real world, people's lives and livelihoods are at risk, and that's what really matters.
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