Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerrySeptember 19, 2017

With so much of Florida’s economy tied to tourism, Rick Scott believes it is essential the state get back to normal as soon as possible following Hurricane Irma, making the state inviting for visitors to return. “One out of every six jobs in the state are tied to tourism. So we gotta make sure that we’re […]

Scott PowersSeptember 19, 2017

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Duke Energy not only missed its deadlines for restoring power in Seminole and Orange counties and elsewhere but glitches in its information system provided little and often wrong information to customers, leading its lobbyist to apologize and promise better to Seminole’s lawmakers Tuesday morning. Duke, once faced with 1.3 million customers without power following Hurricane […]

Scott PowersSeptember 18, 2017

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Seminole County Florida lawmakers have sent a protest letter to Duke Energy for not meeting its electricity restoration goals and state Rep. Bob Cortes has asked Duke officials to attend a county delegation meeting Tuesday to look into delays. “Eight days after Hurricane Irma blew through our districts, the struggle for residents and businesses to […]

Scott PowersSeptember 12, 2017

Duke Energy announced it expects to have restored lost electrical service to the western portions of its service area – Pinellas and Pasco counties – by midnight Friday, and to most of the rest by midnight Sunday, but the hard hit counties of Hardee and Highlands likely will wait longer. Duke’s announcement came Tuesday afternoon […]

Staff ReportsAugust 29, 2017

Duke Energy announced Tuesday it had filed a settlement agreement with the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC). The good news: Rates won’t be increasing as expected. “This settlement has broad support and was developed collaboratively with the Office of Public Counsel and other consumer advocates, including the Florida Industrial Power Users Group, White Springs Agricultural […]

Mitch PerryApril 4, 2017

Legislation that would bring new measures of accountability to Florida’s Public Service Commission passed a House Committee on Tuesday. Pinellas Republican Kathleen Peters’s bill (HB 7071) would create performance-based incentives for utilities by rating their reliability, customer service, power plant performance and costs. It also would bar lawmakers from serving on the commission within six years of […]

Peter SchorschNovember 20, 2016

Downtown St. Petersburg’s power infrastructure is getting a multi-million-dollar safety and reliability upgrade. Over the next two weeks, crews from Duke Energy will be adding advanced safety features to electrical manholes throughout downtown St. Pete. The project aims to improve the city’s infrastructure as part of a $140 million Duke Energy reliability program. Starting Nov. […]

Peter SchorschNovember 2, 2016

Consider the eye-grabbing Tampa Bay Times’ front-page headline Wednesday: $43M spent to limit solar. Beyond the silliness of assuming that every dollar utilities donated this cycle is part of a plot to fight rooftop solar — as if there is nothing else they care about — the story is screwed up six ways to Sunday. If a politician were […]

Drew WilsonOctober 31, 2016

The committee backing Amendment 1 took in $3.5 million in contributions last week, including another $3 million from utility companies. Consumers for Smart Solar received $2 million from Florida Power & Light, $1 million from Duke Energy, and $250,000 each from conservative retirement group the 60 Plus Association and from a group called “Let’s Preserve […]

Peter SchorschOctober 28, 2016

U.S. Rep. David Jolly’s re-election campaign in Florida’s 13th Congressional District took in $625,000 over the first 19 days of October, with half coming from utility companies. People for Pinellas, the committee backing the incumbent Republican, received a $250,000 check from Florida Power & Light and another $100,000 from Duke Energy, with the American Society of […]

Tag: Duke Energy

One week after Irma, Rick Scott says ‘we’ve got to get tourists back’

Duke Energy acknowledges problems, apologizes in Seminole County

Seminole County lawmakers want response from Duke Energy

Duke hopes to have Pinellas, Pasco power up by midnight Friday

Duke Energy reaches settlement agreement with state

Bill to reform public utilities advances in House committee

Duke Energy to begin multi-million-dollar St. Pete power infrastructure upgrade

Tampa Bay Times’ mind-boggling figures in ‘rooftop solar fight’ don’t add up

Solar Amendment 1 committee takes in another $3.5M, now at $25M raised

Duke, FPL fuel pro-David Jolly super PAC