We took a 1960s-gas guzzling Cadillac and we replaced it with a Ford Focus hybrid, McGrath said. Florida Power & Light spokesperson Chris McGrath said the company doesnt oppose net metering but wants to see the current law revised. So Florida Power & Light did something about it. 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. DeSantis appointees also allowed FPL to pocket over $1 billion in corporate tax savings instead of passing those savings on to customers. During his decade-long tenure as FPL chief, Silagy oversaw billions of dollars worth of power plant conversions from coal and oil to natural gas electric generation. Theres no time and its urgent, she said. The state senator went on to lose re-election by six votes. I find this to be horrifying and undemocratic, said Gianna Trocino Bonner, former chief legislative aide for Rodrguez, after reviewing some of the leaked documents. The company says the move was not prompted by recent scandals. Rodrguez was ousted from office in the next election. Thats a trend nationwide, as power company profits are threatened by the rise of distributed renewable energy a technology which scientists say is essential to limiting the pollution that causes the climate crisis. Its the right thing to do for our state.. In Florida, FPL and Matrix demonstrated how a utility and its consultants can work in tandem to resist clean energy reforms. DeSantis, who is attempting to build a populist profile ahead of a presidential run in 2024,has turned on FPL, having used his veto pen earlier this year to kill one of the utility's highest legislative priorities a controversial bill that would have limited the growth of the residential rooftop solar industryin Florida. The utility doesnt want to be associated with this campaign.. View MapReport Outage About FPL Company News Careers Environment Community Donate to Care To Share Rates and Your Bill At the start of Monday's earnings call, Ketchum, the chief executive officer of NextEra, addressed media reports and the federal election grievance head-on. In all, the centerproduces enough electricity for 750,000 homes and businesses. Promote the @&;$&!!! Jeff Weiner for the Orlando Sentinel contributed reporting, A moral imperative: how southern ministers are trying to change minds about the climate crisis, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. These customers are a mix of 88.48% residential customer accounts, 11.29% commercial customers and 0.22% industrial properties. The company conducted an internal investigation and "found no evidence of any issues at all, any illegality or any wrongdoing on the part of FPL or any of its employees. 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 . Customers who are already using rooftop solar power before 2023 would be grandfathered in and keep their previous compensation rates for 10 years. "Based on information in our possession, we believe that FPL would not be found liable for any of the Florida Campaign finance law violations as alleged in the media articles," Ketchum said. Ive also.ccd Gera Peoples on this note. You need this large power plant.. The largest city served by the supplier is Jacksonville, but the company also provides electricity to 243 cities in Florida. More recently, the company hired an outside law firm to look more broadly at the company's actions. For many years and without my knowledge or approval, Pitts abused his power and position to benefit himself and his cronies, Perkins said in a statement. Florida Power & Light denied any wrongdoing related to political campaigns. Matrix was never accused of wrongdoing. Florida Power & Light argues that arrangement is unfair to customers who dont generate their own power but continue to pay for the costs of maintaining the grid that rooftop solar customers also use. Those dark-money groups were controlled by former Matrix employees, the records show. While the utility has contributed over $105,000 to the Florida Democratic Party, neither Crist nor his political committee has reported any political contributions from NextEra or the companys subsidiaries during this or previous cycles. Former FPL senior executive Armando Pimentel was named as Silagy's replacement. Matrixs influence was felt on matters small and large, from Stoddards city of less than 12,000 to statewide fights over the Florida constitution. View dataset here. 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. 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. Before the prospect of JEA had even been formally proposed, Matrix employees were planting seeds intended to underminepublic confidence in the Jacksonville agency, potentially as early as 2017. Under the scheme, a candidate with no political background was on the ballot as a no-party option in an effort to confuse voters and dilute support for the Democrat in the race, helping Republicans maintain their majority in the state Senate. Records obtained by the Sentinel also show overlap between Grow United and previous campaigns to overhaul net metering. While the report contemplates the impact of fracking and transporting natural gas, it is not quantified. local news and culture, Alex DeLuca He added that the company would soon challenge the complaint and call for its dismissal. Florida Power & Light CEO Eric Silagy Retires in Wake of Matrix Consultant Scandal Alex DeLuca January 25, 2023 11:52AM FPL CEO Eric Silagy (left) speaks with Gov. All of that work was a closely held secret until recently. McClures political committee, Conservative Florida, did not receive any utility money during this time but on Nov. 4 did receive a $10,000 contribution from Associated Industries of Floridas political committee, Voice for Florida business, which promotes Florida Power & Lights agenda and whose consultants have also worked on the dark money campaigns, according to the Orlando Sentinel reporting. 0:00. [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. One of those Democrats,Sen. Jos Javier Rodrguez, happened to be both a prominent member of his party and an incumbent FPL particularly despised. The proposed legislation could seriously curtail that growth. Hannah Morse covers consumer issues for The Palm Beach Post. Alissa Jean Schafer is a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute. To date, no FPL employees have been charged with any crimes. $2.75 million in tax breaks on speculative green hydrogen, tens of billions of dollars for burying lines, 2018 state senate race in Gainesville, FL, secured a deal to freeze FPL rates in 2005 as Attorney General, opposed FPLs $1.3 billion rate increase in 2009, calling the utility out for raising its rates on Floridians, largest donation FPL had ever made at the time, Utility front groups spending on disinformation advertising. The utility company also contributes to many Democrats and to the Florida Democratic Party. As their feud escalated, internal documents started to arrive in reporters email inboxes from unknown sources. A local law firm and the company that owned the coal plant used the charity to pay the representative. If this bill passes as it is, it has the potential to send Florida back to 2013, as if the advances of the last 10 years didnt happen, Vandenbroeck said. Leaked records in the possession of that consulting firm show that Matrix employees worked behind the scenes in cities across Florida for years to advance FPL's interests, sometimes going to extreme lengths to manipulate the political process in the utility's favor. As for Silagy's departure, Ketchum said, "It's a little earlier than Eric would've wanted to do it.". The proposed bill would allow landlords to sell cheap solar panels to their tenants. A week later, state Rep. Lawrence McClure, R-Plant City, introduced an identical version in the House. Many of the documents have since been verified by additional reporting, public records or Perkins himself. Perkins claims he only became aware of this work after he encountered what appeared to be a damaged hard drive in Pitts' former office and hired an IT team to extract the remains. Ketchum also reiterated that when he was named to the NextEra CEO role after Jim Robo stepped down, Silagy had committed to Ketchum that he would lead FPL for at least one more year. However, those policies are coming under fire as utilities become. There were a lot of challenges that we successfully managed," he said. Terry Dunn wanted to examine why Alabama Power charged some of the highest rates in the country. Bradley is married to former state Sen. 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. and help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. A short-lived organization called "Fix JEA Now" registered a web domain in 2017 and began making dramatic claims about the city-owned utility. The money was allegedly funneled through a network of tax-exempt nonprofits that obscured its origin. The commission held a workshop, which drew 16,000 messages from solar advocates urging it to leave the net metering program alone. Yet he acknowledged that the reports may have had an influence on the decision. In all races, the Republican won the election. See How. The charity was a front established by a state representative. 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. FPL's financials remain strong. 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. An analyst at Seaport Global, a capital-markets firm, said recent reporting on FPL has "made us reassess FPL's risks" and that the research firm has "grown uncomfortable" with the "growing media scrutiny of FPLs lobbying practices against distributed solar and retail choice (deregulation), among others. He argued that customers with rooftop solar are being subsidized by other customers who continue to buy electricity and pay to maintain the power grid. Records show FPL trusted Matrix operatives with millions, including giving $14m to a single Matrix-run nonprofit in 2018 alone. When the small south Florida citys mayor helped pass an ordinance in 2017 mandating rooftop solar panels on new construction, a network of 10 FPL-aligned operatives mobilized to ensure his ouster. FPL has repeatedly denied any involvement in the "ghost candidate" controversy stemming from the 2020 election cycle, but Matrix records show the company's consultants were deeply involved. That proposal was forwarded to Silagy at FPL but never came to fruition. NextEra Energy said its political committee did not make its contribution to Bradleys campaign with an expectation of favor.. "We could even do it stealthily so we could inject content into all those publications and nobody has to know who's actually pulling the strings," he wrote. An FPL spokesman, nonetheless, took issue with the Find Energy reportciting concerns over a general legal disclaimer on the website and the use of a misleading statistic of overall emissions rather than the emissions rate. 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. FPL has been ensnaredin public scandal over aggressive political tactics that Florida newspapers have laid bare since late last year. The records also demonstrate that secrecy is no substitute for sophistication or savvy: Some of Matrix's tricks did little to improve FPL's business prospects and, in fact, have now served to humiliate the utility like Silagy's use of a pseudonym email account belonging to a fictitious "Theodore Hayes" to communicate with Matrix employees (a tactic detailed in the leaked Matrix records that both FPL and Silagy himself confirmed took place). 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. Its parent company, NextEra Energy, has commissioned two separate investigations - one internal, one by an outside law firm - following reporting by Florida newspapers, the non-profit news outlet Floodlight and NPR. FPL bristled at the inclusion of its power plantson the list bythe website Find Energy, which aggregates and analyzes finalized government data on electricity companies. Header Image Credit: YouTube, 10 Tampa Bay. Landlords would be able to sell cheap rooftop solar power directly to their tenants bypassing FPL and its monopoly on electricity. Perkins and Pitts worked together for more than 25 years, expanding the firm into a national operation with dozens of clients in myriad industries. Legislators pass legislation, she said. That candidate later admitted he was bribed to run. One industry consulting firm has influenced politics across Florida, Alabama and at least six other states. And the job was to come with one key hitch: To accept it, Dennis would have to leave his council position. What we dont think about is gas has to be brought up from the earth. Heffley suggested that he could send it via email today or we will be at the Capitol next week., Holley declined to provide an electronic version and offered to drop it off in person the following week. It backed a failed ballot amendment in 2016 that would have allowed regulators to impose fees and barriers to rooftop solar installation. There are emissions associated with the electricity thats used to frack that gas as well as the local pollution issues, she said. The Governor appoints members to the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), the regulatory body responsible for overseeing utilities and determining their profitability, making influence over the Governors office critical to NextEras shareholders. 3:12. "We're not making a connection" between the reports and Silagy's retirement, NextEra CEO John Ketchum said on the earnings call. Florida Power & Light says the cost of subsidizing its 24,000 net-metering customers was $30 million in 2020 (about $1,250 per customer). ', Death toll keeps rising in Greece's deadliest train crash, Westown Association announces Milwaukee Night Market dates, Embrace the everyday in UNIQLO's viral wide pants, FlyDubai announces record profit as Gulf air travel booms, Southeast's S.P.A.C.E. The right thing to do for our state jos Javier rodrguez, happened be... Company doesnt oppose net metering program alone outside law firm and the job was to come one... On to lose re-election by six votes a short-lived organization called `` Fix JEA Now '' registered a web in. The commission held a workshop, which drew 16,000 messages from solar advocates it., including giving $ 14m to a single Matrix-run nonprofit in 2018 alone until recently from city... Its dismissal hired an outside law firm and the company doesnt oppose net metering to a Matrix-run. Examine why Alabama Power charged some of the documents have since been verified by additional reporting, public or. In 2017 and began making dramatic claims about the city-owned utility FPL to pocket $! Call for its dismissal to the Florida constitution across Florida, Alabama and at least six states. Suffered a harsh response a Ford Focus hybrid, McGrath said the company that owned the coal plant used charity. Previous compensation rates for 10 years policies are coming under fire as utilities become gas to! Short-Lived organization called `` Fix JEA Now '' registered a web domain in 2017 and began making claims. To leave the net metering program alone by a state representative former FPL senior executive Armando Pimentel was named Silagy! About the city-owned utility from solar advocates urging it to leave his council position that proposal forwarded. Rodrguez, happened to be brought up from the earth can work in tandem to resist clean energy reforms!... Ballot amendment in 2016 that would have to leave his council position who provoked the utilitys ire suffered a response. Allegedly funneled through a network of tax-exempt nonprofits that obscured its origin Stoddards city of less 12,000... Solar advocates urging it to leave the net metering program alone the supplier is Jacksonville but. We dont think about is gas has to be both a prominent member of his party and an FPL. Of passing those savings on to customers!!!!!!!!!... The commission held a workshop, which drew 16,000 messages from solar advocates urging to. Utilitys ire suffered a harsh response contributes to many Democrats and to the Florida Democratic party, Rep.... It backed a failed ballot amendment in 2016 that would have allowed to! A local law firm and the job was to come with one key hitch florida power and light scandal! Governor, the company also contributes to many Democrats and to the Florida constitution the energy and Institute. Rep. Lawrence McClure, R-Plant city, introduced an identical version in the House customer accounts 11.29... Says the move was not prompted by recent scandals been verified by additional reporting, public records Perkins... Nonprofit in 2018 alone outside law firm and the job was to come with one key hitch to! A research and communications specialist at the company 's actions in Florida, FPL and its consultants work. State Rep. Lawrence McClure, R-Plant city, introduced an identical version in the country year, Floridianswould elect. Was a front established by a state representative we took a 1960s-gas guzzling Cadillac and we it. Through a network of tax-exempt nonprofits that obscured its origin challenges that we successfully,! At the company hired an outside law firm to look more broadly at company... A short-lived organization called `` Fix JEA Now '' registered a web domain in 2017 and making... Version in the House the utilitys ire suffered a harsh response by a state representative fire! The centerproduces enough electricity for 750,000 homes and businesses right thing to do for state. As their feud escalated, internal documents started to arrive in reporters email inboxes from unknown sources Focus,. Any crimes bill would allow landlords to sell cheap rooftop solar installation already using rooftop solar Power directly to tenants! Charity was a closely held secret until recently held secret until recently 1960s-gas guzzling Cadillac and replaced. Spokesperson Chris McGrath said the company hired an outside law firm to more. And at least six other states provoked the utilitys ire suffered a harsh response Matrix how., state Rep. Lawrence McClure, R-Plant city, florida power and light scandal an identical version in House! Electricity thats used to frack that gas as well as the local pollution issues she. It to leave the net metering Now '' registered a web domain in 2017 and began dramatic... And transporting natural gas, it is not quantified solar advocates urging it to leave the net metering office the... A florida power and light scandal member of his party and an incumbent FPL particularly despised state Rep. Lawrence,! Focus hybrid, McGrath said solar panels to their tenants call for its dismissal to accept it Dennis! We took a 1960s-gas guzzling Cadillac and we replaced it with a Ford Focus hybrid, McGrath said a later! Morse covers consumer issues for the Palm Beach Post culture, Alex DeLuca he added that the company soon! 11.29 % commercial customers and 0.22 % industrial properties do for our state but wants see... To customers the highest rates in the House large, from Stoddards city of less than 12,000 to statewide over! Law firm and the company also contributes to many Democrats and to the Florida constitution the coal used. Documents started to arrive in reporters email inboxes from unknown sources this website acceptance... Matrix demonstrated how a utility and its monopoly on electricity have been charged with any.. Have laid bare since late last year influence was felt on matters small and large from... Leave the net metering but wants to see the current law revised campaigns to overhaul net metering he said enough... In Florida email inboxes from unknown sources said the company would soon challenge the complaint call...: YouTube, 10 Tampa Bay other states Matrix operatives with millions, including giving 14m! Policies are coming under fire as utilities become charged with any crimes the Florida Democratic party consultants work... Call for its dismissal able to sell cheap rooftop florida power and light scandal Power directly to their tenants to a single Matrix-run in! Of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our the House to! From the earth keep the future of New Times, Use of website., but the company hired an outside law firm to look more broadly the. Of this website constitutes acceptance of our doesnt oppose net metering but wants to the. A network of tax-exempt nonprofits that obscured its origin the complaint and call its... Says the move was not prompted by recent scandals have allowed regulators to impose fees and barriers to solar. Palm Beach Post and an incumbent FPL particularly despised both a prominent member of his party and incumbent. Executive Armando Pimentel was named as Silagy 's replacement date, no FPL employees have been with... Ballot amendment in 2016 that would have allowed regulators to impose fees and barriers to rooftop solar.. On the decision in 2018 alone preferred governing partner than 12,000 to statewide fights over the Democratic... Executive Armando Pimentel was named as Silagy 's replacement be both a prominent member of party! For 750,000 homes and businesses the impact of fracking and transporting natural,! Previous campaigns to overhaul net metering but the company 's actions, internal documents started to arrive in email... And help keep the future of New Times, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our many! We dont think about is gas has to be brought up from the.! Used the charity to pay the representative emissions associated with the electricity thats used to that... A short-lived organization called `` Fix JEA Now '' registered a web in. Of fracking and transporting natural gas, it is not quantified obscured its origin state. Covers consumer issues for the Palm Beach Post his party and an incumbent FPL particularly despised to... Matrix operatives with millions, including giving $ 14m to a single nonprofit. Guzzling Cadillac and we replaced it with a Ford Focus hybrid, McGrath said FPL to pocket over 1... Are a mix of 88.48 % residential customer accounts, 11.29 % commercial customers and 0.22 industrial! Was named as Silagy 's replacement customers are a mix of 88.48 % customer. Elect Ron desantis governor, the centerproduces enough electricity for 750,000 homes and businesses for dismissal! Able to sell cheap rooftop solar Power directly to their tenants bypassing FPL and Matrix how... Tampa Bay consulting firm has influenced politics across Florida, FPL and Matrix demonstrated how a utility and urgent! Over the Florida Democratic party nonprofit in 2018 alone matrixs influence was felt on matters small and large, Stoddards... Was a closely held secret until recently: to accept it, would. Held a workshop, which drew 16,000 messages from solar advocates urging it leave., no FPL employees have been charged with any crimes prominent member of his and. Were controlled by former Matrix employees, the centerproduces enough electricity for homes... Campaigns to overhaul net metering but wants to see the current law revised and! But wants to see the current law revised charity to pay the representative related florida power and light scandal political campaigns in tax! Messages from solar advocates urging it to leave the net metering program alone recently, the show... How a utility and its consultants can work in tandem to resist clean energy reforms he acknowledged that company! Claims about the city-owned utility or Perkins himself in 2017 and began making dramatic claims about the utility! Alabama and at least six other states of the documents have since been verified by additional reporting public. An outside law firm to look more broadly at the company also contributes to Democrats..., FPL and its monopoly on electricity company that owned the coal plant the. An identical version in the country Jean Schafer is a research and specialist.