from Last Call
by Peter Schorsch
November 9, 2021
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Monday announced the agenda for the 2021 Florida Energy and Climate Summit, which will be held Nov. 15-17 at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando.
The summit is a multiday conference hosted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Energy that will focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change, and what it will take to achieve a net-zero carbon future.
The first-day schedule includes tours of the Amway Center and OUC Gardenia facility in Orlando.
Day Two will feature a series of talks and panel discussions from leaders in government, academia, and climate-adjacent industries. Speakers include Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Fried, Central Florida’s Clean Cities Coalition Director Doug Kettles and Duke Energy Lead Security Policy Adviser Laura Ritter, among others.
The final day includes three discussions — a “Fireside Chat” on the relationship between local government and sustainability with Orlando Director of Sustainability and Resilience Chris Castro and Orange County Sustainability and Resilience Officer Jeff Benavides; a discussion on emerging tech with Sam Choi of TBD Technologies and FPL Director of Development William Mundt; and a panel on lowering energy costs at educational facilities with UCF Senior Director of Utilities & Energy Services Curt Wade, Miami Dade Schools Administrative Director of Design & Sustainability Erick Laventureand Hillsborough County Schools Deputy Superintendent Chris Farkas.
“We are already seeing the devastating impacts of climate change here in Florida and across the world. We need to take immediate, bold action to mitigate climate change and save our environment,” Commissioner Fried said. “This summit will help provide a framework for us to take necessary action to move toward a carbon-zero future. Together, we can keep Florida growing sustainably.”
More information on the and registration details for the 2021 Florida Energy and Climate Summit are available on FloridaEnergySummit.com.
Fried is one of the few Florida state politicians to understand the devastating impact climate change is already causing and will cause to our economy and lives.