Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Staff ReportsSeptember 11, 2018

Utility crews from throughout the Southeast sent crews to help Florida’s utilities recover from hurricanes. Now, with Hurricane Florence bearing down on the Carolinas, Florida utilities are returning the favor. Tampa Electric Co. has dispatched 250 line workers to backstop Duke Energy crews in North and South Carolina. They began the two-day drive Tuesday morning and […]

Michael MolineOctober 10, 2017

Will Hurricane Irma inspire the Legislature to light a fire under the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) efforts to buttress the electric grid against powerful storms? Likely. But it’s too soon to know what changes might help. That picture emerged during hearings before Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities: Regulators won’t […]

Peter SchorschApril 25, 2017

Tampa Electric Co. is adding five prominent Florida business and community leaders to its board of directors, including developer and Tampa Bay Lighting owner Jeff Vinik, former House Speaker Will Weatherford and former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. In an announcement Tuesday, TECO parent company Emera Inc., the Nova Scotia-based energy conglomerate, said the new members are as part of […]

Michael MolineJanuary 11, 2017

The chairwoman of the House Energy & Utilities subcommittee might need to invest in a hard hat. Her members might want to do that, too. During the panel’s first meeting Wednesday, Kathleen Peters said she planned to conduct as many visits as possible to facilities operated by the utilities regulated by the Florida Public Service […]

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 […]

Michael MolineNovember 2, 2016

The Florida Public Service Commission signed off Wednesday on a moratorium on hedging of natural gas purchases by Florida’s major public electric utilities, pending negotiations over how the practice could stop costing ratepayers so much. The stipulated agreement calls for the commission to oversee one or more workshops beginning early next year in which the […]

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 […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 11, 2016

As promised, the backers of one proposed solar-power constitutional amendment have filed a legal brief opposing the other and asked for oral argument. Floridians for Solar Choice, supported by the solar industry and business and consumer interests, on Monday filed its opposition brief against the utility-backed Consumers for Smart Solar. Its attorneys advanced the filing earlier in […]

Jim RosicaNovember 11, 2015

Of the groups behind two solar-power constitutional amendments competing to get on the 2016 ballot, one currently has more signatures, but the other now has raised gobs more cash. The utility-backed Consumers for Smart Solar has raised nearly $3.8 million, including $2.3 million in October alone, according to online campaign finance reports. The latest disclosures were due […]

Tag: Tampa Electric Co.

Florida power companies sending repair crews to the Carolinas

Senators eagerly waiting hard facts on how the power grid stood up to Irma

Jeff Vinik, Will Weatherford, Pam Iorio named to TECO board of directors

House Energy & Utilities chairwoman plans field trips this session

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

PSC approves one-year halt to hedging of natural gas prices by utilities

Earthjustice strikes back against Smart Solar group

Supreme Court reschedules oral argument for ‘Smart Solar’ amendment

Solar amendment showdown goes to court

Utility-backed solar amendment rakes in campaign cash