Google listened and it has just trumpeted the world’s loudest wake up call to Americans and American Business. Welcome to the world of Google Energy. Google Energy is now fully authorized to buy and sell energy at market rates.

Now the first thing that comes to mind is “am I going to be able to buy power from Google?” Not exactly…

Google is on a mission to be able to supply their offices and data centers with the highest quality and most affordable renewable energy they possibly can. By becoming a registered utility Google now has access to Transmission lines, wholesale energy rates and energy brokerage capabilities.

Google Energy can now develop a wind or solar farm and be granted access to transmission lines as a utility, sell that energy to Google itself and control the rates of its data centers all completely regulated through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

But why is this SO important?

Google Energy has just proven to all of American business that if you are big enough, consume enough energy and have the right technology, you can make financial sense of starting your own “utility”. Being in the business of developing your own “Utility Type” company to develop renewable energy properties to sell energy back to your business entity is the first massive step to a Distributed Renewable Energy Generation.

Expect Google Energy to be followed by the possible likes of, GM Energy, Toyota Energy, Pfizer Energy or maybe even WalMart Energy. Why would these huge consumers of Energy NOT follow in Google footsteps in leasing land, developing energy property and then trading the electricity through the grid to offset their energy bills for their stores, 100 story office buildings or dealerships all while enjoying huge tax credits from the Federal government? This is not a new idea for Google, they have had a long standing goal to be carbon neutral as well as to create renewable energy cheaper than coal (RE>C).

If you’re “Waiting on the World to Change”, watch as businesses follow Google and Google Energy into the renewable energy development and utility trading business. When the Federal Government gets around to signing an energy bill your local utility company may quickly start to offer a rebate for the installation of solar panels on your home, take a second look at what they are offering you, maybe, just maybe Google or one of its possible followers may have a better offer for you.

JUPITER FARMS, FL – If you’ve ever considered converting to solar power, now may be the best time to do it.

Bill Hoysradt, the president of Abundant Energy in Jupiter says, “I called it the sexy solar…it’s the one that’s got the buzz right now.”

That sexy solar is the photovoltaic system, and with everyone focusing on energy conservation these days Hoysradt says, “Right now would be the best time for someone to consider investing in solar. The products that are available currently are the highest quality products that have been available ever.”

Just one small panel can generate enough power to run your refrigerator every day.

Combine that with a solar water heater, replacing incandescent bulbs and proper insulation, and you’re well on your way to becoming nearly energy independent.

The solar systems cost around 18 thousand, and go up from there. But the state pays you a rebate that could put an extra 4 to 8 thousand dollars in your pocket. There is a federal tax credit of 30%.

Hoysradt says, “By the time the consumer gets to the net investment it turns out to be cheaper to own the equipment to generate the power than it is to buy the power on a monthly basis from FPL.” “If everybody had a little bit then the impact becomes enormous,” he added.

“The legislation would create a cap-and-trade system: Over the next decades, power plants, oil refineries and manufacturers would be required to obtain allowances for the pollution they emit. Those who need more or less could turn to a Wall-Street-like market in the allowances.”

Read the full article from the Washington post here:

Florida legislatures could not agree how to make renewable energy such as wind and solar energy a viable part of the economy and energy structure here in Florida this month. They agreed to disagree and do nothing killing the Governors 20% by 2020 bill. The death of this bill had it’s good and bad. The bill contained no standards for how rate payer money could be spent therefore allowing big utilites to gobble up the money and build huge solar and wind power farms, so it’s good it did not pass. On the flip side, solar and wind are good for the environment regardless of how they are generated.

Yesterday, the House has passed a National Policy, the first of it’s kind to Cap the Green House Gas (GhG) emissions from the big polluters, typically oil, gas and electricity generators. Legislatures have been quoted as saying this will jack up the cost at the retail level to almost all consumers because of the United States heavy dependence on fossile fuels such as Coal, Gasoline and Natural Gas.

Currently the State of Florida produces large percentages of its power from Coal, Natural Gas and Nuclear. Look for updates continually in the local papers as energy producers will likely be filing with the Public Service Commission very shortly to request local rate hikes to hedge agains the additional costs or fines they may incurr because of this new bill.

With the onset of rate hikes eminant and a large portion of money likely to be funneled into the Florida Solar Energy Rebate Program from the Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act now may be a good time to start looking into Residential Solar Power Genereration. You can read the executive summary from the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association online as they are preparing to push 14.4 million into the Solar Rebate Fund. As of yesterday, solar energy investors are able to apply for their solar rebates online, speeding up the process dramatically for capturing their rebate funds once a system is installed.

There is one company in Florida who has already hedged their bets just in case a cap in trade bill came along. It will most likely be considered one of the greatest “power plays’ in history. FPL considers itself to be the largest producer of wind and solar energy in the United States. They also currently opperate the 3rd largest nuclear reactor assets in the United States as well.

So now the big question, will the Federal Bill and our local Public Service Commission allow FPL to buy green energy from out of State? And, if they do allow it will FPL choose to buy it all up for itself or choose to make Billions selling their clean green energy to other utilities who did not have the forsight to make clean energy investments in the past?