In 2018-19, Mary Ellen was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Since 2020, Florida-based news organizations have reported about FP&L's role in questionable political and campaign finance-related activity. In response to the stories, FPL has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The reports show that Florida Power & Light hired a political consulting firm that engaged in dirty tricks to harm or otherwise neutralize the companys perceived opponents, including elected officials and journalists. Artiles faces multiple felony charges in connection to an alleged election scheme that successfully ousted Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez, a long-time climate advocate. "I don't expect much of a change, leaving aside all of the stuff going on with the outgoing CEO," Patterson said. Every day or once a week, our original stories and digest of the webs top headlines deliver the full story, for free. Matrix LLC has since sued several former employees, including its ex-CEO Jeff Pitts, accusing them of conspiring with FPL's parent company NextEra Energy Inc. to work on secret projects . FPL spokespeople denied that FPL had any role in the spoiler candidate scheme in a comment to the Sentinel. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. NextEra Energy CEO James Robo responded to a question from a Bank of America Securities analyst and said the company had FPL CEO Eric Silagy turn over emails and text messages and concluded there was no evidenceof illegality or wrongdoing on the part of FPL or any of its employees.. Eskamani of Orlando said Baezs response left her unsatisfied. NextEra Energy owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is America's largest electric utility that sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.8 million customer accounts, or more than 12 million . A day later, Public Service Commission chairperson Andrew Fay responded with an unequivocal rejection of their request, saying that the commission has a long-standing prohibition on the inclusion of lobbying and other expenses, which have been determined to bring no benefit to ratepayers, among the expenses to be recovered through rates charged to the public for service., Fay added that when FPL filed its rate request, the appropriate auditing function was conducted during the commissions consideration of the most recent FPL rate case, and the audit produced no evidence that FPL used, or was intending to use, ratepayer funds for the private benefit of the companys lobbying, campaigning or marketing affairs.. A dark money non-profit called Grow United is at the center of the scandal, with records showing direct communication with and invoices to FPL. This reporting has raised significant questions around the potential of ratepayer funds being used to not only influence elections but to undermine democracy through fake candidate schemes, astroturfing, and attempted bribes, wrote state Reps. Anna Eskamani, Carlos Guillermo Smith, Angie Nixon and Travaris McCurdy. If you are somebody who maybe is on the fence about whether a wind farm should come to your community, and you see all this about what NextEra has doneand its true, (the company) really has behaved terriblythen, does that make you more or less trustworthy of them?. Despite its position as a renewable energy generator, the company has been shrouded in controversy - the most recent of which has to do with Florida Power & Light (FPL), one of the companies operating beneath them. A lot will depend on how FPL conducts itself moving forward. That political power has helped FPL to secure a return on equity of 10.6% in the latest rate increases that it secured from regulators much higher than the national average for utilities. Your source for the latest news and stories from NextEra Energy and its subsidiaries. Artiles is facing several felony charges for allegedly recruiting and paying an auto-parts dealer who shared the same surname as the Democratic incumbent in the race for Senate District 37 to run as a no-party candidate and confuse voters and influence the outcome of the 2020 election, according to his arrest affidavit. Jane Marsh is an environmental and sustainability writer. A similar sounding utility front group, Energy Fairness, is a client of McNicholas & Associates. Public Lands in the US Have Long Been Disposed to Fossil Fuel Companies. In a Jan. 5 letter, they asked the commission to determine whether the company was using ratepayer money for political purposes. The legislators responded on Jan. 10, saying they considered the PSCs review incomplete given the news stories. FPL has also donated $20,000 to Perrys political committee, Building a Prosperous Florida, while TECO has donated $2,500. A day later, PSC Chairman Andrew Fay responded with an unequivocal rejection of their request, saying that the PSC has a long-standing prohibition on the inclusion of lobbying and other expenses, which have been determined to bring no benefit to ratepayers, among the expenses to be recovered through rates charged to the public for service., Fay added that when FPL filed its rate request, the appropriate auditing function was conducted during the commissions consideration of the most recent FPL rate case, and the audit produced no evidence that FPL used, or was intending to use, ratepayer funds for the private benefit of the companys lobbying, campaigning or marketing affairs.. Artiles has pleaded not guilty to the charges. You want to measure economic success? [], [] has not shied away from shady political dealings in the past. An abandoned shovel is to blame. Its frustrating to see the Public Service Commission express no interest or concern in Floridas largest investor-owned utility company engaging in questionable smear campaigns and potentially illegal election activity while they increase rates, she said Wednesday. A lot is riding on NextEra in the race to clean energy. When asked by a Bank of AmericaSecurities analyst on a recent earnings call, NextEra CEO James Robo explained that he orderedFPL CEO Eric Silagy to turn over emails and other written communication, primarily focused onFLs work with two political committees: Grow United and Lets Preserve the AmericanDream, both tied to Simpson. Federal agents arrested Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder, along with several lobbyists, on July 21 on charges that the group used $60 million of funds provided by the monopoly utility FirstEnergy Corp. in exchange for passing a law that bailed out that company's nuclear and coal plants. If . You can keep up with her work on her site Environment.co. Mary Ellen Klas is the state Capitol bureau chief for the Miami Herald, where she covers government and politics and focuses on investigative and accountability reporting. Artiles has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Since the publication of that article, McClure has taken an additional $8,500 in political contributions from Florida investor-owned utilities; $1,000 from NextEra Energy to his campaign directly, and $7,500 from Duke Energy to McClures political committee, Conservative Florida. Our #1 newsletter delivers the weeks climate and energy news our original stories and top headlines from around the web. The messy business of being 'green'. Their power over utilities in Florida was challenged by legislation proposed by the Democratic Senator of Florida, Jos Javier Rodrguez, in 2019. Operator: Good morning, and welcome to the NextEra Energy and NextEra Energy Partners Fourth Quarter 2022 Earnings Call. In this first story in a series, I look at how the plan has divided the community and strained relationships between longtime friends and neighbors. "They probably chose him to be a steady the ship-type figure," said Jack Dearing, an analyst with Washington-based Capstone LLC, which advises investors and companies on policy issues. "I don't think you're going to see any headlines like that (with Pimentel).". Crews said last month in a call with analysts that he is confident in the companys long-term plan to continue increasing development of wind, solar and batteries. A look at the changing global population. [] utility Florida Power & Light backed the legislation, and, according to an investigation by the Energy and Policy Institute, a watchdog group, donated tens of thousands of dollars in [], [] more brazen attempt to interfere in state politics, FPL executives including Silagy were closely connected to a state election scandal that involved recruiting and funding sham candidates to siphon votes away from incumbent Democrats [], [] Herald. Were working hard to bring you the latest news from the states legislative session. Pimentel has been a well-known but low-key power industry figure whose familiarity with NextEra suggests he will provide consistent leadership for with NextEras top subsidiary, said Glenrock Associates utility analyst Paul Patterson. NextEra Energy announces agreement to sell a 50% interest in an approximately 2,520-megawatt portfolio renewables project to a third party, highlighting the value of its best-in-class development program. Sign up for our newsletter: Get Capitol Buzz, a special bonus edition of The Buzz with Emily L. Mahoney, each Saturday while the Legislature is meeting. The energy company that runs the Florida Power & Light utility, as. The state recently joined New York and California in passing such laws, eliciting both support and pushback. They then asked the PSC to supply answers to a series of questions about FPLs political spending that included: How was the $14 million FPL spent in 2018 on a nonprofit called Mothers for Moderation used and was any of it passed to other organizations at FPLs direction or with FPLs knowledge?. FPLs consultants used similar spoiler candidate tactics in the 2020 election cycle in three senate races throughout the state. Life expectancy in the U.S. fell during the same period that a Reagan-era law raised the retirement age by two years. Sign up for Mary Ellens newsletter Politics and Policy in the Sunshine State. Alvarados firm, Alvarado Strategies, was paid by three political committees with connections to Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), a corporate interest group with strong utility ties. Fargo, ND, USA / The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO. NextEra Energy is on the receiving end of a proposed class action lawsuit in which a Nebraska homeowner alleges the electricity provider's wind turbines placed near residential communities are a "nuisance" and effectively deprive homeowners of the use and enjoyment of their property. For example, Richard Alexander, who lives in Cullman, Ala., and not only chairs Grow United, he also has been tied to groups that were created to promote the agenda of Floridas powerful sugar and electric utilities industries, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Veterans for Conservative Principles treasurer was Dave Ramba, whose firm Ramba Consulting Group has lobbied for FPL for years. Alissa Jean Schafer is a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute. Im eager to see whats yet to come, and whether it leads to changes in the way FPL does business. 10 Takeaways from the IEA's Newest World Energy Outlook. Goston claimed he did not know or care where the money supporting his candidacy came from, according to the Gainesville Sun. He started by questioning my premise that NextEra has a good reputation while its subsidiary, FPL, has taken some serious hits. If trust in NextEra dwindlesand seemingly it has, if stock recommendations are anything to judge bypeople might be less willing to consider the installation of a wind farm in the. Some critics of Florida Power & Light, like Alissa Jean Schafer of watchdog group Energy Policy Institute, have welcomed Pimentel's uneventful background. They cited utilities expert Karl Rabagos testimony in the rate case, in which he noted that FPL spent millions of dollars in dues paid to certain politically active trade associations and cited the commissions own documents in the rate case. On January 24th, the stock of renewables pioneer NextEra - now the U.S.'s largest utility company - dropped 8.8% on news the head of its FP&L unit was retiring. The retirement and subsequent. A digest of the most pressing climate-related news, released every Tuesday and Friday. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. For years your source for the latest news and stories from NextEra Energy Partners Fourth Quarter 2022 Earnings Call three. Where the money supporting his candidacy came from, according to the Gainesville Sun by two.! Age by two years $ 20,000 to Perrys political committee, Building a Prosperous,! 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