Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschJanuary 16, 2018

Florida Power & Light says it’s dropping plans to charge customers for Hurricane Irma costs and will instead apply savings from the recently enacted Tax and Jobs Act to cover the cost. For the average customer, this means savings of about $250. FPL also announced that the tax savings could allow it to continue operating […]

Drew WilsonDecember 29, 2017

Duke Energy and Tampa Electric Company asked the Public Service Commission this week to approve plans that would allow them to pass to ratepayers more than $600 million in costs related to Hurricane Irma and other storms. Duke Energy’s proposal would see the company collect $513 million from customers, who would see their average bill […]

Staff ReportsOctober 29, 2017

A personnel shake-up at a Duke Energy tree-trimming subcontractor came at the worst possible time for residents of the Tampa Bay-area. Weeks before Hurricane Irma, Asplundh Tree Expert Co., a “vegetation management” vendor fired its Florida chief. Now the company is accusing him of using his experience — in violation of a noncompete clause — to siphon […]

Scott PowersOctober 10, 2017

Florida’s private utility companies have donated nearly $800,000 to support Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam‘s political committee seeking to get him elected governor, and also have donated another $1.8 million that may have been re-directed to him through other political committees. A review of campaign finance data available through the Florida Division of Elections shows that […]

Scott PowersSeptember 19, 2017

The massive power outage Hurricane Irma left behind last week with more than 6.5 million homes and businesses is down to a handful of pockets outside the still heavily-darkened Monroe, Collier and Lee counties that were hardest hit by the storm. The latest data provided by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, showing power through […]

Scott PowersSeptember 19, 2017

State Sen. Jack Latvala called Tuesday for electric utilities in Florida to stop donating to political campaigns and instead spend the money on improving their power grid infrastructure. Latvala is a Republican gubernatorial candidate from Clearwater, has received electric company money in his political committee, Florida Leadership Committee, but not nearly as much as his […]

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 […]

Tag: Duke Energy

FPL to pass federal tax cut onto customers instead of raising rates to pay for $1.3 billion Hurricane Irma restoration

Ratepayers could be on the hook for millions due to Hurricane Irma

Duke Energy tree-trimming vendor fires Florida chief at worst possible time — weeks before Irma

Utility companies have contributed $800K, while funneling as much as $2.5M through committees, to Adam Putnam’s campaign

Power restored except South, Southwest, Central Florida pockets

Jack Latvala swears off electric cash, urges utilities to stop political donations

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