Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Staff ReportsJune 6, 2018

Floridians who want solar panels on their rooftop but are skittish about the cost will soon have an option: Sunrun. The solar-as-a-service biz is coming to the Sunshine State this summer with plans allowing customers to start generating their own electricity for as little as $0 upfront. And thanks to the company’s home battery, “Brightbox,” […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 4, 2018

Lobbyists for two major players in the utility industry have registered with the City of Jacksonville. Records show Florida Power and Light has engaged Paul Harden, best known locally as the representative for the Jacksonville Jaguars and owner Shad Khan‘s interests. Harden was also pivotal in persuading the Jacksonville City Council to approve a slots referendum in […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 12, 2018

For years (or even decades), Florida environmentalists have faulted investor-owned utilities for a reluctance to embrace solar power in the Sunshine State. But that’s beginning to change, with no utility doing more on that front than Tampa Electric Company. Soon after Canadian energy firm Emera purchased TECO last year for $10.4 billion, the Tampa-based utility […]

Mitch PerryOctober 10, 2017

After widespread power outages following Hurricane Irma, much of the public conversation has centered around the possibility of the electricity companies burying power lines underground. That likely isn’t going to happen in Tampa, according to Gerry Chasse, vice president of electric delivery with Tampa Electric Company. Speaking before the Senate Committee on Communications, Energy and Public Utilities on […]

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 […]

Peter SchorschJuly 5, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s newly formed political committee raised more 2 million dollars last month. Although the Land O’Lakes Republican has been coy about his political future, with an eye-opening haul like that, it’s hard to argue the Speaker is not at least considering a 2018 gubernatorial run. Included in that $2,060,000 (and change) Watchdog […]

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 […]

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 […]

Jim RosicaOctober 24, 2016

Democratic House candidate Loranne Ausley‘s recent ad bemoans “special interests” who “run our state government and control our legislators.” “They get the benefits,” she says in a voiceover. “We get the cuts.” But campaign finance records show Ausley also has taken thousands of dollars from special interests for a political committee (PC) that she controls. The story […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2016

Critics of Amendment 1 on next month’s ballot in Florida teed off on the sponsors of that measure on Wednesday, following an explosive report in the Miami Herald quoting a policy director with the James Madison Institute as saying the utility industry is trying to deceive voters into supporting restrictions on solar power by supporting the amendment. […]

Tag: TECO

Solar-as-a-service coming to Sunshine State

Utility industry giants lobby up in Jacksonville

Bury ’em: Utility chief favors underground power lines

TECO official tells legislative panel it would cost ‘billions’ to bury power lines

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

Richard Corcoran’s $2 million haul, and what it could mean for the governor’s race

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

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

Loranne Ausley opposes special interests – while her PAC takes their money

Solar power advocates blast ‘deceptive strategy’ behind Amendment 1