florida power and light scandal

According to reporting by the Orlando Sentinel, Florida Power & Light executives have been tied to a series of dark-money nonprofits, one of which figures prominently in the Miami-Dade state attorneys investigation into a scandal involving a ghost Senate candidate. Alissa Jean Schafer is a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute. The warm light races across a 600-mile expanse of land and coast before finally brightening the Perdido River in Escambia County on Florida's western border. A dark money group associated with Matrix LLC mailed attack ads against South Miami mayor Philip Stoddard to area residents. Dunn lost his 2014 re-election campaign by a 19-point margin to Chip Beeker, a catfish farmer who is still in office. I just want to reach out and see if I could get an electronic copy of the net metering bill so I can put it into drafting.. We may need some portion of our energy to still come from fossil fuels, because there are industrial processes that are hard to electrify, she said. In May 2018, FPL's sprawling utility empire laid claim to both boundaries,reaching a pinnacle of power and influence rare even among the mega-corporations that call Florida home. An Alabama governor the company worked for was convicted of federal felony corruption charges. Just as well, such a reliance on natural gas leaves consumers susceptible to the volatility of gas prices. View dataset here. Hannah Morse covers consumer issues for The Palm Beach Post. It grew by 57 percent in 2020, DeSantis new election crimes office: 52 positions and unprecedented authority. Namely,how "clean" can, or should, an energy system be to make inroads in tacklingclimate change as the urgency heightens? Asked by Wall Street analysts during an earnings call on Wednesday whether Silagy's retirement was in any way prompted by those reports, the parent company's chief executive asserted that was not the case. Rodrguez was ousted from office in the next election. Rooftop solar in Florida expanded slowly until 2018 when the Florida Public Service Commission allowed electricity customers to lease solar systems with little or no upfront costs. Former FPL senior executive Armando Pimentel was named as Silagy's replacement. The company says the move was not prompted by recent scandals. But Dennis, in an interview last year, recalled receiving a job offer with remarkable similarities to the one outlined in the internal Matrix documents. Butone thing the leaked Matrix records make clear isthat more secrets remain on the firm's hard drive. In a 2020 email, Burgess wrote a former Matrix employee with an idea they could "cobble together however many millions of dollars it would take to buy ALL the Florida newspapers from Gannett and then we could let most of the clown reporters go, save a fortune, eliminate print, and syndicate content across the entire state.". In other words, FPL's gas-fired plant produced almost 20% more power but with a third of the emissions as the coal-powered plant. I think we see in the trend overall nationally is were not moving fast enough toward these cleaner sources as we clearly need to, she said. As such, it would seem the FPL plantsinclusion on the list is unfair. He says he told them that he was disappointed, but there was enough work for both of them, based on the good work they had done. That month, FPL announced a planned purchase ofGulf Power, expanding its reach for the first time into the Florida Panhandle, and in the process snatching away a lucrative asset from regional rival Southern Company, which had owned Gulf since 1925. DeSantis, who is attempting to build a populist profile ahead of a presidential run in 2024,has turned on FPL, having used his veto pen earlier this year to kill one of the utility's highest legislative priorities a controversial bill that would have limited the growth of the residential rooftop solar industryin Florida. Meanwhile, groups aligned with the utility falsely tied Dunn to the Obama administrations efforts to reduce the use of coal. influencing local mayoral and county commission elections, a Miami Herald story about the allegation, graphic showing acquisition flow of The Capitolist, Graphic showing number of stops taken by Matrix private planes. FPL did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Theres no time and its urgent, she said. He said what he found was deeply disturbing. Meanwhile, Matrix-led non-profits funded a blizzard of ads against Stoddard, accusing him of using public money for vendettas and placing him alongside infamous sex offenders Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein. Florida Power & Light denied any wrongdoing related to political campaigns. Bradley said the bill language emerged after a meeting she had with Holley and other members of the utility industry. Landlords would be able to sell cheap rooftop solar power directly to their tenants bypassing FPL and its monopoly on electricity. FPL has complained bitterly about the news coverage of the leaked records, and there is little indication its parent company, NextEra, is reflective about what the records have to say about the involvement of its largest subsidiaryandits highest-level executives. One-tenth of 1percent of the power comes from oil. DeSantis received $25,000 from a dark money non-profit funded by FPL in the 2018 election cycle, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. COMMENTARY | Just a 14-minute drive from Florida Power & Light'sheadquarters in Juno Beach is the easternmost point in the state, where the sun's radiant light first cracks the night skyeach morning. They dont make money off of the solar power generated from rooftops. Florida Power & Light has also invested millions into groups with untraceable, anonymous donors that launched attacks on state and local politicians. Overall, McGrath said the modernization improvements have made their plants 30% more efficient, saved customers more than $11 billion in fuel and kept 165 million tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted in the atmosphere. one of the largest contributors to legislative Florida political campaigns, would have allowed regulators to impose fees and barriers to rooftop solar installation. Even some environmental advocates say the change is fair and necessary because of the fast rate of rooftop solar development in that state. 1 factor to reduce greenhouse gases is the transition from coal to gas. Following up right after Ketchum's comments, Silagy said that his predecessors had held their roles for about a decade each, and that gearing up for another multi-year rate case with state regulators would mean he would have to stay until 2026. The bill is just one front in a decade-long battle against the policy. Forgive me for being unserious at a time when companies like Florida Power & Light (FPL)the nation's largest utilitykeep racking up scandals, but it's kind of hard to keep track of the. Its CEO, Mark Crosswhite, stepped down in December. An organization that acts like a mafia should be treated like one, Stoddard said.In a statement, Newman acknowledged managing the campaign against Stoddard and hiring a private investigator to look into the former mayors personal life. Matrix employees spent heavily on political advertisements for a candidate with the same last name as Rodrguez, who split the vote. Crist secured a deal to freeze FPL rates in 2005 as Attorney General, and he opposed FPLs $1.3 billion rate increase in 2009, which was then blocked by Crist appointees at the PSC. The company is making renewable energy investments, including: Patino-Echeverri said the utility industry as a whole is making strides to make its plants more efficient. While the report contemplates the impact of fracking and transporting natural gas, it is not quantified. Out of this, the FPL executive told Burgess, according to the Herald. McGrath added that the companys move toward cleaner energy sources is a march, not a sprint.. As for Silagy's departure, Ketchum said, "It's a little earlier than Eric would've wanted to do it.". January 25, 2023 Quick Links Start, Stop, Move Find My Account Number Pay Online Support Categories Billing & Payments My Account Start, Stop, Move Programs Business Customer Save Money & Energy Power Related Concerns Using FPL.com General Support Virtual Chat Most Common Links The media reports were cited in an October 2022 Federal Election Commission complaint against several of the "dark money" non-profit organizations that received corporate funds. Drop a line at hmorse@pbpost.com, call 561-820-4833 or follow her on Twitter @mannahhorse. Commissioners said it was the highest response rate they had received on any issue and concluded that no immediate changes to net metering needed to be made. See How. Bob Self/Florida Times-Union. The majority of Florida Power & Light (FPL) contributions have been to the Florida Republican Party, GOP committees and candidates, and political committees associated with corporate special interests. Added Patino-Echeverri: The No. FPL has a long history of spending to campaign against Crist, spending up to $1 million against Crists bid for governor in 2006 after contributing $225,000 to Crists opponent in the Republican primary the largest donation FPL had ever made at the time. Florida now has the second-largest solar workforce in the country about 11,000 direct jobs and 31,000 indirect ones, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. As their feud escalated, internal documents started to arrive in reporters email inboxes from unknown sources. Adding more rooftop solar is one way to cut down on emissions and make the grid more resilient, Shober said. The consultants working with FPL were at the center of Florida's 2020 "ghost" candidate scandal, which involved independent candidates in three state Senate races, including one in Central . Later, in 2019, when JEA executives were preparing to announce their intention to put the agency up for sale, Matrix employees drew up another radical idea. So they opted instead for Mayor Stoddards electoral defeat and changing the makeup of the board, according to a 2018 memo from Dan Newman, a Matrix contractor who was similarly involved in the campaign against Rodrguez. What people may not realize is that public opinion is very much in our favor, said Bryan Jacob of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. He added that the net metering law has not been updated in 13 years and now is time to discuss it. He added that the company would soon challenge the complaint and call for its dismissal. The Florida Panhandle is in revolt over bills that some FPL customers claim are double or triple what they were paying under Southern Company's stewardship of Gulf Power. Big power companies operate as monopolies with captive customers in much of the south-east US. Florida Power and Light is launching a webpage dedicated to attacking the Miami Herald specifically Tallahassee bureau chief Mary Ellen Klas for its "biased" reporting on proposed . That proposal was forwarded to Silagy at FPL but never came to fruition. Matrix employees had a Jacksonville journalist spied on after he wrote critically about FPL. Thats not where the story ends, however, or the whole picture. These email records were provided to the Times/Herald and Floodlight by the Energy & Policy Institute, a watchdog organization that works to counter misinformation about renewable energy. The largest city served by the supplier is Jacksonville, but the company also provides electricity to 243 cities in Florida. Florida Power & Light has pushed back against efforts to bring solar panels to the Sunshine State, while runoff from the sugar industry is a major source of water pollution in Florida.. The proposed legislation could seriously curtail that growth. Two days later, Florida Division of Elections records show, Florida Power & Lights parent company, NextEra Energy, gave $10,000 to Bradleys political committee, Women Building the Future. The Governor also has veto power over legislation that Floridas GOP-majority legislature passes. We're making smart, long-term investments to stabilize energy costs, lower carbon emissions, and make Florida energy independent. The team decided an effort to repeal the ordinance would probably fail. [But] now we have this incredible corruption and a reversal of that because they are using their advantage to hang on to power and undermine democracy, he said. Those who provoked the utilitys ire suffered a harsh response. Later that year, Floridianswould narrowly elect Ron DeSantis governor, the utility's preferred governing partner. "We're not making a connection," said John Ketchum, CEO of NextEra Energy. But Florida Power & Light is arguing rooftop solar could cost Florida utilities about $700 million between 2019 and 2025, according to documents submitted to the Florida Public Service Commission. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas emitted by human activities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and electricity production accounts for 25% of the greenhouse gases emitted in the United States in 2019. Alabama Power still hasnt had a rate case. Florida Power & Light is pushing for it as Florida's biggest utility it has 5.5 million customers, about 65 percent of the state. Florida Power & Light president and CEO Eric Silagy will retire this spring, the Juno Beach-based utility's parent company NextEra Energy announced ahead of an earnings call with Wall Street analysts on Wednesday. The company says the move was not prompted by recent scandals. Companies do not pass legislation. In comparison, the top carbon-emitting plant on the list is a coal-powered one in Missouri that produced 16.5 million megawatt hours of energy but emitted almost 1,009 kilograms of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour less energy, but more emissions. We are committed to being as clean as we can as fast as we can without sacrificing reliability or affordability, McGrath said. invested millions into groups with untraceable, anonymous donors that launched attacks on state and local politicians. On Oct. 8, Bradleys legislative aide Katie Heffley emailed Holley with the subject line: Net Metering Bill., Good afternoon, Hope youre doing well, she said. [Public records from the Florida Senate], Hillsborough school board talks of delay as key vote nears on boundary plan, Closed New Tampa golf course stirs another round of bickering, Pasco park restaurant plans must wait for study of nearby burial mound, Heres the story behind Parkesdale Markets famous Plant City strawberry shortcakes, McCarthy gives Carlson access to 1/6 footage, raising alarms, Toni Says: Taking Medicare advice from your friends can be costly, Florida schools still struggle with late buses, Florida official unsure if Vertol will still handle migrant relocation program, Murder trial of former FSU receiver Travis Rudolph set to begin Friday, Energetic Dave Canales excited about new Bucs offense, calling plays and QB Kyle Trask. The company bought an independently owned coal-powered plant in Indiantown in 2016 with the intent to close it, which occurred last summer. Ive also.ccd Gera Peoples on this note. View MapReport Outage About FPL Company News Careers Environment Community Donate to Care To Share Rates and Your Bill In California, regulators plan to increase fees on rooftop solar customers. Silagy's departure follows more than a year's worth of news investigations into his and FPL's connections to a "ghost candidate" scandal that saw unserious political candidates run in state senate races to siphon votes away from certain politicians. They work off intimidating. Knowing this may inspire consumers to seek out energy-efficient solutions in their own homes like LED lighting, efficient air conditioners or improving insulation and be more aware of the electricity they use, how they use it and perhaps use less. Records from the Florida Senate show that Florida Power & Light drafted the bill, and lobbyist John Holley delivered it to Bradley, R-Fleming Island, and Florida Power & Lights parent company followed up with a $10,000 contribution to her political committee. FPL argued that it is more cost-effective to build a power plant than to invest in energy-efficiency programs because building codes and energy-efficiency standards in consumer products have improved. Records obtained by the Sentinel also show overlap between Grow United and previous campaigns to overhaul net metering. The regulated monopoly is generally seen as a safe, stable investment, but there is some sign the recent public scrutiny could mushroom into a larger problem for FPL. The string of controversy spans nearly the entire Florida Peninsula already an impressive trail of dirty tricks. We simply believe rooftop solar customers should pay the full cost of this investment, McGrath said. As a result of the current system, my constituents are being forced to subsidize the decisions of neighbors in other counties who are in a position to be able to put these expensive systems on their homes, Bradley said. That growth has the utilities, and legislators, worried. The governors office also comes with a bully pulpit and executive order authority, both of which DeSantis has used frequently, pushing his anti-woke platform on everything from school curriculum to state pensions, unilaterally suspending elected officials, and creating his own election police agency. But DeSantis election police agency has remained silent on FPLs connection to election scandals, criminal trials, and ongoing investigations, instead focusing on the arrest of 20 individuals who may have registered to vote while ineligible, despite allegedly being told that they were eligible to vote, and the states issuance of voter IDs. 11:52AM. "We contributeto organizations where we're aligned on what the ultimate goal is, and from the standpoint of having the Senate at the time, who was being led by (Senate President) Wilton Simpson, continue to be able to be led by Wilton Simpson,I was a fan of that," FPL CEO Eric Silagy, recently told me and several other journalists with the Times-Union, Orlando Sentinel and Floodlight in a wide-ranging interview in Jacksonville. Its dismissal meeting she had with Holley and other members of the south-east US the solar power from. A dark money group associated with Matrix LLC mailed attack ads against South Miami mayor Philip to... It grew by 57 percent in 2020, DeSantis new election crimes office: 52 and. On state and local politicians fracking and transporting natural gas leaves consumers susceptible to Obama. Grid more resilient, Shober said not respond to requests for comment by deadline grew by 57 percent in,... 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