The legislation signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enhances protections against appliance bans imposed by regional homeowners’ associations. The bill, known as HB 1645 “Energy Resources,” was signed into law by Gov. DeSantis and includes provisions that shift the focus away from climate change in state laws. It promotes the use of natural gas and restricts offshore wind power projects.
The bill repeals the Florida Energy and Climate Protection Act and removes various clauses related to climate change from state statutes. It eliminates requirements such as recognizing and addressing the potential of global climate change, advocating for climate change issues, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, acknowledging Florida’s position against climate change impacts, and establishing a government entity focused on energy and climate change.
HB 1645 also does away with the Florida Climate-Friendly Preferred Products List, which mandated state agencies to consider energy-efficient or environmentally beneficial products for purchase. Furthermore, it eliminates the “Green Lodging” provision requiring agencies to choose designated environmentally friendly hotels for meetings.
In addition to these changes, the bill strengthens laws protecting the use of natural gas in the state. It imposes restrictions on how local governments can regulate natural gas infrastructure to ensure resiliency and reliability during power outages or natural disasters. The bill extends the minimum length of intrastate natural gas pipelines requiring certification from 15 to 100 miles.
Moreover, HB 1645 prevents homeowners’ associations from banning certain fuels and appliances that use these fuels, thereby enhancing protections against appliance bans. The legislation also prohibits the construction or expansion of offshore wind energy facilities in Florida, setting specific restrictions on their placement.
While the bill has faced criticism from climate advocacy groups like the Cleo Institute, Governor DeSantis defended the legislation as a means to maintain energy security and reject what he calls the agenda of “radical green zealots.” The Consumer Energy Alliance praised the new rules, emphasizing the importance of reliable and affordable energy for Florida’s residents and businesses. The organization highlighted the benefits of diversifying Florida’s fuel supply and promoting energy infrastructure improvements as outlined in HB 1645. Please provide me with a rewritten version of the text for review.
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