Florida State University researchers want to steer Florida toward becoming a key player in the electric vehicle industry, and they're inviting state lawmakers and others to discuss the matter with national and FSU experts.
I personally dont think we have that environment right now, said Dave Cartes, director of the FSU Institute for Energy Systems, Economics and Sustainability.
The institute is hosting the Symposium on Smart Mobility on April 28, and its hoping it will encourage Florida to become friendlier to electric-transportation development. The symposium, titled Opportunities for Electrified Transportation in Florida, is the first in a series.
The symposium will feature speakers from research institutions from around the nation, such as the Illinois Institute of Technology, Harvard Law School Environmental Law Program and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Its panels will range from scientific discussions on battery and fuel cell technology to policy lectures on President Barack Obamas national auto policy and the lack of incentives for the costly development of electric transportation
Notable lecturers will include keynote speaker John Hofmeister, founder and CEO of Citizens for Affordable Energy and past president of Shell Oil Company, and John Miller, technology advisor to the CEO for Maxwell Technologies.
Florida has the potential to be a major developer and manufacturer of electric transportation, Cartes said. But it needs to offer incentives to attract experts to the state and convince businesses to design and build vehicles.
The state might not be known for its manufacturing potential, but it has the resources to research and build vehicles, Cartes said. With the cuts that could follow the impending end of NASAs space shuttle program, the state could capitalize on the knowledge of a force of highly skilled engineers. It could also tap into researchers from the I-4 High Technology Corridor in Central Florida and Scripps Research Institute in Palm Beach County.
Florida could offer incentives for public-private partnerships between businesses and universities to develop clean, reliable electric-transportation technology, he said. It could also benefit from federal carbon regulation that curbs production of gasoline-powered cars and encourages production of alternative energy vehicles.
Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said Florida would be smart to get to involved in the electric-transportation industry. Fasano, chairman of the state Senate Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee, said he would rather have Florida invest in electric transportation than see another state monopolize it and reap the capital and jobs.
Im all for it. As long as its an industry that is a clean industry he said.
The conference is set for 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 28 at the FSU Turnbull Conference Center. Register at www.ieses.fsu.edu.
Contact Alex Tiegen at atiegen@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (561) 329-5389.
