GCAACC General Body Meeting this month is with The Florida Energy Forum (www.flaenergyforum.com) is a nonpartisan citizens group interested in smart energy policy decisions. The group believes that alternative energy supplies should be developed while the country uses the resources it has available. The main goal of the group is to educate the public about topics important to our nation’s energy supply. It accomplishes this through opinion editorials authored by its volunteer chair Nicholas Gutierrez of Coral Gables, a former South Florida Water Management District Board Chair, as well as leaders throughout the state interested in the topic. It also attempts to meet with business, economic development and other groups interested in these topics to seek additional voices through opinion-editorials or letters to various federal agencies that regulate the industry. The group is backed by the American Petroleum Institute and is part of the larger America’s Energy Forum and individual state groups doing similar work. Current topics pending in Washington is approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which has bi-partisan support in Washington and has gone through five years of studies. The pipeline would provide jobs, oil from a trusted ally and a boost to the national economy.

In addition, the EPA has delayed deciding what to do about the Renewable Fuel Standard, which is what determines how much ethanol is pumped into your vehicle each week. It’s currently at 10 percent, but some are pushing for it to be 15 percent. The group believes 10 percent is more than enough, especially given the damage E10 does to small engines, the higher prices we pay for gasoline as well as the spike in food products cost due to the cost of corn increasing. Lastly, the group is for seismic surveying, which is a new technology that determines what natural gas and oil resources are available in the ocean. In July, the Obama Administration approved seismic surveying for the Atlantic Coast from Delaware to Orlando. This lets us know what resources are available since the data we have now is 30 years old. This puts the country in a position of being able to make smart decisions on these issues.

Come out and be apart of history as this is our General Body Meeting. This is an exciting time for our organization and we would love to have you. This is a free event and open to everyone.