Florida Power & Light officials told state regulators today that nuclear power should join solar and wind as a renewable energy source in Florida.

"I think the goal, the intent is to have the most material impact on greenhouse gases," said Eric E. Silagy, FPL's chief development officer in explaining why Florida's Public Service Commission should reconsider the definition. Since nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, there are virtually no air emissions, such as greenhouse gases that may contribute to global warming, according to FPL's Web site.

The commission has until February to come up with standards that require investor-owned utilities, such as FPL, to supply a certain percentage of their retail electricity from green energy. The standards, required under a sweeping energy bill passed earlier this year, will set the pace for Florida's green efforts.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist wants to set a standard of 20 percent renewable energy sales by 2020. The commission's staff proposed 20 percent by 2050. Today, Silagy said FPL could achieve 20 percent green energy sales by 2030 if nuclear power were considered a renewable energy source.

The definition of renewable energy in Florida statutes includes energy from ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, biogas, hydrogen fuel cells, ocean energy, hydrogen, solar, hydro, wind or geothermal. Nuclear power is not included.

Silagy did not know how long it would take FPL to meet the 20 percent standard if nuclear power is not included in the definition. Besides nuclear, Silagy said carbon reductions due to energy efficiency improvements at FPL's existing plants should also be considered when calculating the 20 percent rule.

FPL owns and operates five nuclear power plants in Florida. Nuclear power comprises 19 percent of FPL's fuel mix. Last year FPL announced plans to spend $1.5 billion on building two reactors at its Turkey Point plant in Miami-Dade county and upgrade two others at its plant in St. Lucie County.

Although FPL has never built a solar plant in Florida, its parent company, FPL Group, owns and operates the world's largest solar thermal facility, located in California's Mojave Desert.

In July the commission unanimously agreed to let FPL charge customers for new solar-power plants in Martin, DeSoto and Brevard counties. Construction of those projects - expected to cost $688 million - will begin later this year.