Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJuly 14, 2016

The League of Women Voters in Florida is going big on solar power this year. They’re putting their political muscle behind supporting one solar constitutional amendment on the ballot next month, while opposing another such measure in November. And somewhat outside their normal lane, they’re also going to organize solar co-ops to negotiate steep discounts on rooftop solar for homeowners across the state. […]

Mitch PerryMay 11, 2016

Consumers for Solar Choice, the group behind the controversial solar power amendment that will go before Florida voters in November, has raised their most campaign contributions to date in April, bringing in $8,521,125 — by far their largest one-month total since kicking off their campaign last July. That $8.5 million came from just 14 different contributors, […]

Peter SchorschMay 6, 2016

On Wednesday, Robert Trigaux penned a column asking “three pointed questions” for Duke Energy in the fallout of a flat quarterly earnings report and its annual shareholder meeting in Charlotte, N.C. Trigaux prefaces his piece by proposing a mild winter is what brought lower demand for power – hence the softer earnings report. Next, he […]

Julie DelegalApril 17, 2016

Jim Kallinger and Dick Batchelor wrote in Context Florida last week that voters should support “Amendment 1,” which seeks to regulate solar energy in Florida. They disclose at the end of the article that they work for “Consumers for Smart Solar.” But voters may not know that “Consumers for Smart Solar” is a bankrolled front […]

Mitch PerryMarch 30, 2016

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An activist group is running a radio ad in the Tampa Bay area questioning St. Petersburg-based state Sen. Jeff Brandes’ ethics. The 60-second spot from Florida Strong is called “Let’s Make a (corrupt) Deal.” It attacks the Pinellas Republican for receiving campaign contributions from companies such as Duke Energy and insurance lobbyists, and then claims that he […]

Associated PressMarch 21, 2016

Duke Energy Corp. said Monday it is expanding its renewable energy from livestock waste, adding poop power to investments the country’s largest electric company has made in whirring wind turbines and acres of solar arrays. The Charlotte-based utility said it contracted with Carbon Cycle Energy, which will build and own a North Carolina plant that […]

Jim RosicaMarch 2, 2016

The Tallahassee attorney for Earthjustice, a national environmental law organization, is calling a proposed state constitutional amendment on solar power “a disguised attempt to derail rooftop solar in Florida.” The Florida Supreme Court had scheduled oral arguments for the hotly contested proposal for 11 a.m. March 7 with no more than 30 minutes allowed for each side. Among […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 24, 2016

The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday rescheduled oral arguments for a hotly-contested proposed constitutional amendment on solar power. Arguments are now set for 11 a.m. on March 7, the court announced, with no more than 30 minutes allowed for each side. Among other requirements, proposed amendments to the state constitution must be OK’d by the court to ensure they cover only […]

Kimberly DeFalcoFebruary 13, 2016

At the site of the future Manatee Solar Energy Center in Parrish, Florida Power & Light executives, environmentalists, state and local officials cheered as a groundbreaking ceremony significantly changed the dynamics of solar power in the Sunshine State. At 10:50 a.m. Thursday, FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy and Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam flipped the […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterFebruary 12, 2016

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium saw a boost in attendance in the years since the 2011 release of “Dolphin Tale.” That spike in attendance contributed to a $2 billion economic boost to Pinellas County, according to an economic impact study released this week. The study found that 44,440 jobs were supported by the aquarium over the […]

Tag: Duke Energy
Image via AP.

League of Women Voters going all in on solar power in Florida this year

‘Consumers for Smart Solar’ initiative brings in more than $8.5 million in April

Responding to Times reporter Robert Trigaux’s ‘three pointed questions’ for Duke Energy

Julie Delegal: Pro-solar consumers beware: Vote no on Amendment 1

Radio ad blasts Jeff Brandes on ethics

Duke Energy signs deal to turn pig poop into electricity

Earthjustice strikes back against Smart Solar group

Supreme Court reschedules oral argument for ‘Smart Solar’ amendment

FPL breaks ground on new solar power plants

Clearwater Marine Aquarium pumps $2 billion into Pinellas economy, study finds