Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonApril 2, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that Chinese solar panel company JinkoSolar is building a “state-of-the-art” manufacturing facility in Jacksonville. JinkoSolar’s expansion into the Sunshine State is the result of a deal with utility giant NextEra Energy to supply millions of solar panels to the company over the next four years. NextEra Energy is the parent […]

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 […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 15, 2018

Top Republican lawmakers posted big fundraising reports for their political committees in December, with future Senate President Wilton Simpson leading the pack at $427,000 raised last month. Simpson’s committee, Jobs for Florida, took in 31 contributions from Dec. 1 through New Year’s Eve and a pair of committees chaired by Ryan Tyson – Floridians for […]

Phil AmmannDecember 15, 2017

As Puerto Rico struggles with Hurricane Maria recovery, a 10-person team of experts from Florida Power & Light – the nation’s third-largest electric utility – traveled to the territory last week to help with ongoing energy restoration efforts. Maria hit Puerto Rico Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm, leaving nearly all of island’s 3.5 […]

Peter SchorschNovember 14, 2017

Top Republicans in the House and Senate brought in saw huge committee fundraising gains in October, with Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson leading the pack with $645,000 raised. Simpson, a Trilby Republican, is likely to take over as Senate President for 2021-22, brought in 75 contributions through Jobs for Florida, including nine contributions of $25,000 […]

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 […]

Associated PressSeptember 18, 2017

Dealing with wrecked belongings and reports of toxic muck, residents of a tiny town where Florida’s Everglades meet the Gulf of Mexico cleared their homes Monday in scorching 92 F (33 C) heat with no air conditioning and no electricity except from a few generators. The isolated Everglades City community of about 400 people suffered […]

Tag: Florida Power & Light

Solar panel plant coming to Sunshine State

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

Top Republican lawmakers added major cash in December

FPL crews join industry experts in Puerto Rico for power restoration aid

Top Republican lawmakers scored big in October fundraising reports

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

SW Florida residents clear sodden homes in scorching heat