Legislative/Regulatory

Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced the launch of the new Florida Advisory Council on Climate & Energy (FACCE). This committee of energy and climate professionals will advise the Commissioner and the Office of Energy in the Florida Department of Agriculture and... Continue Reading

By Jim TurnerAs Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried holds out for “cooler heads” in the Senate, House Speaker José Oliva is hopeful he will gain support for his chamber’s effort to move the Office of Energy from under her watch. Voting largely along party lines Thursday,... Continue Reading

By Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida Duke Energy Florida customers next month will start seeing extra charges on their bills to cover the utility’s costs of preparing for Hurricane Dorian, a mega-storm that threatened to smash into the state in September before turning away. The... Continue Reading

By Jim Saunders In a victory for state regulators and utilities, an administrative law judge Tuesday rejected a challenge to a plan for carrying out a new law that is expected to lead to more underground power lines in Florida. Judge James H. Peterson III, in a 52-page order, turned down... Continue Reading

By: NSF Staff Backers of overhauling the state’s electric utility industry had raised --- and spent --- about $5.75 million before the Florida Supreme Court blocked their proposed constitutional amendment last week, according to a newly filed finance report. The political committee Citizens... Continue Reading

By Jim Saunders The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have overhauled and deregulated the state’s electric-utility industry, saying part of the proposal’s wording would mislead voters. The ruling was a victory for... Continue Reading

By News Service of Florida Staff Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would overhaul Florida’s electric-utility industry continue to move closer to a key threshold for getting the issue on the November 2020 ballot. As of early Thursday afternoon, the state Division of... Continue Reading

By Jim Saunders More than three months after Hurricane Dorian gave the state a major scare, Duke Energy Florida on Thursday asked regulators to approve collecting $171 million from customers for costs stemming from Dorian and a much-smaller tropical storm. The Category 5 Dorian, which devastated... Continue Reading

By NSF Staff As it continues to gradually move toward reaching a petition-signature threshold, a political committee that wants to overhaul Florida’s electric-utility industry received $208,000 in cash contributions last month, a newly filed finance report shows. The committee Citizens for... Continue Reading

Senator Tom Lee (R) D-20 By Jim Turner Plans for a statewide office focused on rising sea levels and more electronic-vehicle charging stations along Florida highways are moving forward in the Senate, as Republicans have become more open to addressing climate change and emissions issues. The... Continue Reading

By Jim Sunders - News Service of Florida An administrative law judge will hold a hearing this month in a dispute about how to carry out a new law that is expected to lead to more underground power lines in Florida --- and higher costs for utility customers. The state Office of Public Counsel,... Continue Reading

Despite objections from attorneys for utility customers, the Florida Public Service Commission on Tuesday continued moving ahead with plans for carrying out a new law that supporters say will help make the state’s electric system better able to withstand hurricanes. The state Office of... Continue Reading