Post Legislative Session Update:
Despite a energetic effort from the Coalition, the Green Fee legislation did not pass during this session. It stalled out in Senator Lynn's Higher Education Appropriations Committee. She did admit on the floor, however, that she had received 40 and more calls per day from supporters of the Fee.
Although the legislation did not go through the campaign is far from over! Check out our latest blog for more information.
Green Fee Legislative Push
Florida is one of the few state in which we have to work with our lawmakers in order to give the opportunity to campuses to levy green fees. (Texas is another.) This Spring, students from the Coalition made their case in the 2009 Florida Legislature with a green fee amendment. Check out the new legislative page to learn more about the current campaign. And download the one page summary presented to legislators.
Who are we?
The Florida Green Fee Coalition is a statewide alliance of students and faculty that supports the creation of renewable energy student fees ("green fees") at Florida public universities. The coalition provides information about the green fee and is working with university and state officials to make renewable energy investment at Florida's eleven public universities a reality.
What is a green fee?
Despite the environmental and financial benefits of renewable energy generation, capital investment costs make it difficult for Florida's public universities to switch to clean energy sources. To help jump start this transition, we propose a small student fee which would be collected in a renewable energy fund at each university. This fund would help finance efficiency projects and renewable energy installations and purchases on Florida campuses and move our state one step closer to a sustainable future.
The campaign for a green fee was started and is still led by college students from across the state. In spring 2007, the University of Florida student organization Gators for a Sustainable Campus placed a referendum question on the student government ballot to gauge student support for a 50 cent renewable energy fee. 78% of voting students supported the fee. Other schools from around the state started green fee campaigns, and in the spring of 2008 UCF, NCF, and FSU all passed referendums in their student government elections. Currently, 8 of the 11 state system schools are in some phase of this campaign.
