Florida could soon ban local governments from creating policies that lower climate-warming pollution.
The Legislature passed that measure, despite Tampa recently showing significant savings from such practices.
Many Florida cities, like Tampa and Sarasota, have goals to achieve net-zero, which refers to a balance between the amount of warming pollution people produce and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
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But lawmakers approved House Bill 1217, which says net-zero policies, carbon taxes and emission trading programs are bad for energy security and economic interests.
Tampa recently presented numbers showing the opposite.
The city would've saved $1.8 million for reduced energy consumption by using things like solar power, but because energy bills went up so much, partially due to the cost of fossil fuels, it only saved a fraction of that: $296,193.
Tampa used 9.3% less energy but saved only 1.2% on energy costs last year, energy officials recently told the city council.
The measure awaits the governor's signature.
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Because electric bills are so high these days, two Florida lawmakers on opposite sides of the aisle filed measures to reign in the Florida Public Service Commission, which regulates the cost of energy in the state. Neither passed.
The commission has been accused of rubber-stamping increases to residents' energy bills.
Just last year, the commission approved what’s being called the highest rate increase in history for Florida Power & Light: $7 billion over the next four years.
Pensacola Republican Sen. Don Gaetz filed legislation for the second time, trying to limit electric utilities from earning returns on equity that exceed the national average.
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He also wanted to expand the five-member commission to seven, to include a certified public accountant and financial analyst.
Gaetz told the Tampa Bay Times the measure died after significant lobbying in Tallahassee from Florida Power & Light.
And Orlando Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith's measure asking for more transparency and accountability in rate hike cases also died in committee. He wanted to ensure utilities don't recover certain costs from ratepayers, while also capping profits.
