President Barack Obama recently announced that the State of Florida will receive $200 million in federal stimulus funding in order to expand the Energy Smart Miami program throughout the state. The funding, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is part of the government's $23.4 billion effort to transition the nation to a smart grid system.

The program, dubbed Energy Smart Florida, is expected to create or retain more than 6,000 green jobs. It also will stimulate Florida's green economy, give residents more control over their energy usage and make Florida the model for smart grid implementation throughout the country.

Energy Smart Florida will provide Florida Power & Light with the funding to install 2.6 million smart meters and other advanced monitoring systems in homes and businesses during the next two years and 4.5 million smart meters by the end of the project.

FPL plans to invest another $378 million in the program during the next two years. That funding will be used to provide incentives for energy efficient practices and to increase the percentage of energy consumption from renewable sources.

"The Energy Smart program is an investment in the future of our city and our state," Miami Mayor Manuel A. Diaz said. "It is an important step toward creating the green jobs of the future and building a clean energy economy for the 21st century.

"This initiative meets the Obama administration’s goal of investing in alternative and renewable energy, ending our addiction to foreign oil, addressing the global climate crisis and jump-starting the green economy," he continued. "I look forward to working with FPL, Cisco Systems, General Electric and Silver Spring Networks to create a model public-private partnership and putting these economic stimulus dollars to use right away."