Statement by FPL Group Chairman and CEO Lew Hay on Waxman-Markey Climate and Energy Bill
– Edited by April Murelio –
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, released a discussion draft of a climate and energy bill today. Lew Hay, chairman and CEO of FPL Group (NYSE:FPL), the nation’s No. 1 producer of renewable energy from wind and solar power, issued the following statement:
“Chairman Waxman and Chairman Markey have outlined a bold blueprint for dealing with America’s energy crisis. Our nation is at a critical moment in history, confronted by a triple threat of challenges: an economy in recession, an overdependence on foreign energy, and a warming planet. Chairmen Waxman and Markey understand that the solution to any one of these challenges is the solution to all three – putting a price on carbon dioxide to drive investment in clean energy. A decade ago FPL Group had fewer than 500 megawatts of wind power nationwide. Today we have nearly 6,400 megawatts, or more than 8,000 wind turbines, nationwide. We also operate the world’s largest solar energy array and the country’s third-largest nuclear fleet, making us a global leader in low- and no-emissions electricity generation. This discussion draft contains important provisions that will help the country make a full transition to the clean-energy economy of the 21st century – one that will create jobs, strengthen our energy security, and address the threat of global climate change. We look forward to working with Chairmen Waxman and Markey to pass a bill this year.”