A group of four state lawmakers has joined a lawsuit asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a law requiring utility customers to pay in advance for new nuclear plants, even if they’re never built.
The Everglades Water Supply Summit kicked off in Tallahassee today with a panel that included West Palm Beach City Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, state Rep. Will Weatherford, Florida Power & Light VP Mike Sole, South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Melissa Meeker and golf course designer Jack Nicklaus. They spoke about the need for better policy, restoration efforts and the importance of not pointing the finger at any one particular industry when it comes to pollution in the area. Below, some of the highlights.
The Everglades Water Supply Summit will kick off today in Tallahassee and will feature appearances by industry executives, environmentalists and lawmakers. The summit will be headlined by Gov. Rick Scott, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam and other top government, business and civic leaders.
Awake the State is organizing and mobilizing Floridians who are against Gov. Rick Scott and the GOP-led state Legislature during a summit in Orlando this weekend.
The latest on FPL’s hotly contested bid to raise fees on customers to pay for upgrades to its nuclear power plants. Plus: five more important items!
South Daytona becomes the latest city to debate whether to back away from a new 30-year franchise agreement with its local utility (in this case Florida Power & Light). Plus: five more bite-sized bits of Florida news!
In Florida, where donations to individual candidates are subject to strict limits, the big money in politics tends to flow through the parties, campaign committees and other channels.
State lawmakers have been adamant in their opposition to a set of federally mandated water quality standards because, they say, Florida is already aggressively improving its waters. Now legislators are making strides to relax state laws limiting waste in state waterways.
Another year, another funeral for renewable energy legislation backed by Florida Power & Light.
Last summer, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill helped inspire a series of conferences dedicated to weaning the state off fossil fuels. Solar contractors called for policies that would encourage small-scale installations, like rooftop solar panels. Utilities called for incentives to develop large-scale projects, along the lines of a measure that failed last year. Renewable energy advocates called for policies that would do both.
This past winter, bills were introduced in the legislature that would have helped accomplish that. So far this session, though, they’ve gone nowhere.
rss