florida power and light scandalflorida power and light scandal

The company's owner, Joe Perkins, and its former CEO, Jeff Pitts, parted ways in early 2021, becoming bitter enemies locked in legal battles in courtrooms in Alabama and Jacksonville. 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. Katie Chiles Ottenweller, Southeast director for Vote Solar, an Atlanta-based advocacy organization, is optimistic but wary given Florida Power & Lights clout in the Florida Legislature and its role in drafting the bill. The solar industry disagrees, pointing to research that shows rooftop solar penetration is low enough in most states that the effects of distributed solar on retail electricity prices will likely remain negligible for the foreseeable future.. That effort culminated with a Matrix employee signing an option agreement to purchase a controlling stake in The Capitolist in September 2019, the records show. Still, there could be some benefit for consumers to be cognizant of a plants overall emissions, if its not the only factor being considered, she said. Theyve got the lobbying power, and weve got the people power.. 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). $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. Still,plants with high emissions are going to draw attention in the overall effort to cut down ongreenhouse gas, experts say. Maggie Shober, research director with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, agreed that the report shows just one of many ways to look at emissions. 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. In one case, at the suggestion of Silagy, FPL's CEO, Burgess included in a newsletter a photoshopped image of the Herald's Tallahassee bureau chief, Mary Ellen Klas, as a pauper begging for money. FPLs campaign contributions appear to be on pace with the utilitys political giving of over $8.1 million in the 2018 gubernatorial cycle. It was based on our discussion, and it was one that I could support as a starting point, she recalled. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. Even some environmental advocates say the change is fair and necessary because of the fast rate of rooftop solar development in that state. The sites publisher, Brian Burgess, a former top spokesperson for past Florida governor Rick Scott, also suggested in emails that Matrix should lure prominent Florida journalists to a new site or buy local papers owned by media giant Gannett Company and then lay off most of the clown reporters to inject content into publications without anyone knowing who was pulling the strings. Map showing route taken by Matrix LLC to oust Jose Javier Rodriguez from office. If were trying to look all in, theres a whole lot to consider upstream from just the burning of the fuel., FPLs McGrath said the Find Energyreport also doesnt tell the companys whole modernization story.. 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. The Find Energy report relied on data that is submitted by power companies to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Perkins has repeatedly denied leaking records, though he has verified the authenticity of numerous records underlying recent stories by the Times-Union, Orlando Sentinel and Floodlight, a nonprofit investigative news outlet. One of Matrixs oldest clients is Alabama Power, which employed Perkins personal consulting firm as early as 1999. Upon realizing the extent of Pittss shadow operations and abuses of power, we filed our lawsuit against Pitts and those few rogue employees.. FPL is currently modernizing its plant in Dania Beach, expecting the new gas plant to come online this year, but doesnt anticipate building a new natural gas-powered plant in its 10-year outlook. President and CEO of Florida Power & Light Eric Silagy speaks to the media after FPL imploded its last Florida . FPL CEO Eric Silagy (left) speaks with Gov. Taken together, the internal Matrix records depict a group of well-resourced executives and their enablers who have nurtured twisted views of theFirst Amendment and American democracy, and who have little hesitation over going to remarkable and troubling lengths to achieve their goals. In the Northeast corner of the state, a young, first-termRepublican mayor in Jacksonville was eager to solicit proposals to privatize city services none more enticing than the city's century-old municipal utility, JEA, one of the largest public electric, water and sewer utilities in the United States and a prize FPL had long sought. Pitts in turn has accused Perkins of defamation and of leaking confidential records to the media. The proposed legislation could seriously curtail that growth. Hannah Morse covers consumer issues for The Palm Beach Post. Such a turn in the political tidecould be particularly dire for a regulated company like FPL, whose literal fortunes rise and fall on the decisions made by the Public Service Commission appointees of the governor who must sign off on any number of high-stakes operational and financial issues for Florida's private utilities, starting with electric rates. 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. Big power companies operate as monopolies with captive customers in much of the south-east US. With two months until voters elect the next Florida Governor, NextEra Energy and its subsidiaries, Florida Power & Light and Florida City Gas, have poured nearly $6 million into state level campaign funds and political committees. But advocates fear that a FPL-drafted bill to rewrite the states net metering rules will slowly chip away at the main financial incentive for homeowners and businesses to go solar. FPL did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Those dark-money groups were controlled by former Matrix employees, the records show. 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 is one of 47 states that allow households and businesses that produce power to sell it back to the grid at a set rate. We'll get them back on Check the FPL Power Tracker for updates on any outages in your area or report one to us. 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. The commission held a workshop, which drew 16,000 messages from solar advocates urging it to leave the net metering program alone. All of that work was a closely held secret until recently. However, those policies are coming under fire as utilities become increasingly concerned about how the growth of distributed solar energy affects their bottom line. Perkins and Pitts worked together for more than 25 years, expanding the firm into a national operation with dozens of clients in myriad industries. Perkins and Pitts sued each other, with Pitts claiming his former mentor had never followed through on handing over the company despite years of discussions. However, those policies are coming under fire as utilities become. Ive also.ccd Gera Peoples on this note. one of the largest contributors to legislative Florida political campaigns, would have allowed regulators to impose fees and barriers to rooftop solar installation. The issue extends to several states. "JEA is broken," the group boasted on its website, where it posted Times-Union coverage of the utility's involvement in an over-budget, behind-schedule nuclear project in Georgia. Documents shared by an anonymous source show Silagy directing his team to make life hell for Florida senator Jos Javier Rodrguez. 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. Earlier this year, current PSC members, appointed by Gov. Theres no time and its urgent, she said. He was previously the chief financial officer for NextEra Energy and FPL and led NextEra Energy Resources, the parent company's renewable resources arm, for eight years. 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. DeSantis is running against former Republican Governor and current Democratic nominee Charlie Crist, who has been a vocal critic of FPL throughout his political career. 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. More:FPL seeks to raise monthly power bills for residental customers by 10%. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. 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. Get the FPL Mobile App. Holley, the Florida Power & Light lobbyist who delivered the net metering language to the Senate, worked to promote Republican Senate candidates in the close races. Butone thing the leaked Matrix records make clear isthat more secrets remain on the firm's hard drive. 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. See How. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by Energy and Policy Institute. 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. Bradley said she is open to discussing alternative models for her bill, including a system in use in the Carolinas to compensate rooftop solar customers who provide extra power for the grid when it is most needed, during peak hours. Learn More About FPL News Company Careers Environment Community Donate to Care To Share Rates and Your Bill About Energy Energy My Way Ensuring Reliability Clean Energy Solar Electric Vehicles Power Disturbances Safety Partner Resources Supplier Home and Login PIC Login "The way I look at it is it's a little earlier than I would have hoped Eric would have wanted to do it.". ", "We've heard (FPL parent company NextEra's) management assurances about internal investigations," the analyst,Angie Storozynski, wrote, but "any legal, political or regulatory inquiry into FPLs conduct would be highly damaging to the stock.". Nate Monroe is a metro columnist whose work regularly appears every Thursday and Sunday. For years, Florida Power & Light has been one of the largest contributors to legislative Florida political campaigns. That statement was made before additional rounds of damaging disclosures prompted the investigation by the outside law firm. But FPL was fixated on JEA; buying it would lock Florida's entire East Coast into FPL's service territory, another bold expansion of FPL's power. As such, it would seem the FPL plantsinclusion on the list is unfair. Otherwise, DeSantis has been largely friendly to NextEra and FPLs legislative priorities, granting the utility $2.75 million in tax breaks on speculative green hydrogen, signing legislation that gave FPL permission to charge customers tens of billions of dollars for burying lines, signing legislation preventing gas bans that would have aided Florida City Gas, and also signing legislation that forced the resignation of utility critic JR Kelly from his leadership of the Office of Public Counsel, which represents ratepayers in rate cases. Alissa Jean Schafer is a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute. During an investigation by this newspaper, as well as the Sentinel and Floodlight, FPL became at least vaguely threatening about our decision to continue reporting. This legislation allowed for Kelly to be replaced with a former utility lobbyist, Richard Gentry. Landlords would be able to sell cheap rooftop solar power directly to their tenants. 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. We understand this may mean youll continue your campaign to smear FPL or our employees, FPL spokesperson David Reuter told us in the last communication between the company and our reporting team. 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. The proposed bill would allow landlords to sell cheap solar panels to their tenants. That cost is based on the avoided cost that the utility would have incurred if it were to install a comparable system. Currently, 5,779,202 consumers receive their electricity from the company. Energy poles by Florida Power and Light from Turkey Point nuclear generating station in Miami, Florida. The charity was a front established by a state representative. 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. And then apparently, somewhere along the way, Jeff and Joe got sideways, Silagy said. They proposed offering a job to Garrett Dennis, a member of the Jacksonville City Council who had been outspoken against selling JEA. Customer Support. Florida Power & Light, one of the largest utilities in the country, abruptly announced the retirement of its chief executive after a tenure marked by strong financial returns, moves toward greener energy and multiple scandals. The companies that are doing the right thing still have those kinds of plants in their portfolio, specifically coal, but theyre working toward other alternatives, Hope said. 1 factor to reduce greenhouse gases is the transition from coal to gas. Silagy, the FPL CEO, says the pair initially told him they had come to an amicable agreement about parting ways. Florida Power & Light is pushing for it as Floridas biggest utility it has 5.5 million customers, about 65 percent of the state. The company provided The Palm Beach Post with 2019 data on emissions and energy production at power plants, including its own, which was in line with the source of the 2020 data used by Find Energy. Ron DeSantis, approved FPLs rate hike, raising Floridians monthly bills by over $1.5 billion in the next few years with annual increases through 2025, while increasing FPLs profits. To work around the independent, traditional media, former Matrix employees took a more direct route to influence the public narrative about Florida Power & Light. Once he left, Pitts said Perkins smeared him to clients in an attempt to extort millions. The complaint implicated Florida Power & Light in violations of election law due to alleged attempts to obscure the source of political donations. [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. Two decades ago, the company was using more than40 million barrels of oil, the most of any electric utility, McGrath said. The ongoing clash between Matrixs founder Joe Perkins, 72, and former CEO Jeff Pitts, 51, is exposing the firms decades of extensive influence peddling on behalf of utility clients. But Shober saida missed opportunity is not factoring in methane emissions associated with the leaking of natural gas, from the production of the fuel to its use. While the report contemplates the impact of fracking and transporting natural gas, it is not quantified. That proposal was forwarded to Silagy at FPL but never came to fruition. The funds supported a total of five spoiler candidates in state senate and county commission races in 2018 and 2020, as well as efforts to foil a ballot initiative that would have deregulated Florida's energy market. Last June, Florida Power & Light spokesperson David Reuter wrote that the initial review had exonerated the company: "This detailed report found no evidence of illegality or wrongdoing on the part of FPL or any of its employees." That growth has the utilities, and legislators, worried. The state senator went on to lose re-election by six votes. 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. 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. It is a regulated monopoly which means that the. He added thatcarbon dioxide is emitted from burning natural gas, which isa fossil fuel, andis being created whether theyre scrubbing or storing it.. The warm light racesacross a 600-mile expanse of land and coast before finally brightening the Perdido River in Escambia County on Florida's western border. The complaint implicated Florida Power & Light in election law violations because of alleged attempts to obscure the source of the political donations. "We're not making a connection" between the reports and Silagy's retirement, NextEra CEO John Ketchum said on the earnings call. One of those Democrats,Sen. Jos Javier Rodrguez, happened to be both a prominent member of his party and an incumbent FPL particularly despised. At the Birmingham office where Pitts and the others had worked, Perkins said he found a backup server that appeared to have been beaten with something. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? More recently, the company hired an outside law firm to look more broadly at the company's actions. Watchdog exposing the attacks on renewable energy and countering misinformation by fossil fuel interests, DeSantis faces Democrat and Utility Critic, Crist. I am concerned that it will result in significant costs here, but I also dont want to destroy the rooftop solar industry in Florida.. The sex worker later testified the allegations were untrue, and that she had been paid by a Birmingham businessman to make them. NPR and Floodlight also reported in December that people working at Florida Power & Light's political consulting firm had paid a veteran ABC News freelance producer to try to trip up politicians who took stances opposed to the energy utility's economic interests. Many of the documents have since been verified by additional reporting, public records or Perkins himself. It's easy to pay your bill, view your energy usage, manage your account and more. In 2019, when the electric utility industry was up in arms about a constitutional amendment to open up competition in Floridas energy market, a Matrix-linked non-profit poured more than $10m into groups fighting it. NextEra officials say that investigation is close to completion. In all, the centerproduces enough electricity for 750,000 homes and businesses. FPL has acknowledged it received the idea but insists the company immediately rejected it. Crist has also criticized FPL on the campaign trail, calling the utility out for raising its rates on Floridians and criticizing FPL for attempting to block clean energy with anti-solar legislation. Bradley is married to former state Sen. He added that the net metering law has not been updated in 13 years and now is time to discuss it. The effort to privatize Jacksonville's utility imploded in scandal and recrimination, prompting a two-year federal investigation that resulted in criminal charges against JEA's former CEO and CFO. The Senate District 37 scandal was one of three races in Florida in the 2020 cycle that followed a nearly identical pattern: A close race, an unknown third party candidate to siphon some of the votes, and campaign . FPL | Contact Us We're here to help Please log in so we can help you faster. Records obtained by Floodlight and the Orlando Sentinel show that Matrix consulted for FPL, as well as another Florida company, Gulf Power, and Alabama Power. The plant ispart of a fleet of new-era power generators often cited by the state's largest utility as jewels in itstransition to modern, clean energy. "And we support organizations who had that mission.". "I want you to make his life a living hell seriously," Silagy wrote in a 2019 email to two of his vice-presidents about one of the Democratic state senators whose 2020 electoral contest was complicated by a spoiler candidate. 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. The plan ultimately failed, and Stoddard was re-elected. Im hopeful this is a conversation starter but, at the same time, its really hard to have a conversation when you have a gun to your head. One person affiliated with Grow United is Abbie MacIver, who formerly worked for Energy Fairness, a group that encourages policymakers to consider the cost of energy choices, as well as their benefits. Last year, McClure sent a letter to state regulators at the Florida Public Service Commission citing the result and urging it to update its net-metering rule. FPL has long despised Klas' hard-hitting coverage of the company. Very early on in this bills ride, I think it has a real chance to settle out in a way that most parties are not upset, he said. That gave Matrix consultants and FPL executives input on Capitolist stories. independent local journalism in Miami. He noted that there is never a "perfect time" to leave. In 1998, the firm distributed copies of a video in which a sex worker falsely alleged she had been sexually assaulted by a candidate for lieutenant governor. Flight data shows Matrixs planes made more than 130 flights to five states in 2020 alone, frequently crisscrossing the south-eastern US but also traveling as far west as New Mexico. He is suing Pitts in Alabama for fraud and conspiracy. Skeptics of that plan notably included the Office of Public Counsel, thewatchdog group that represents consumers before the Public Service Commission butwas thought to have been more friendly to utility interests after the installation of a longtime industry lobbyist in 2021. January 25, 2023 What we dont think about is gas has to be brought up from the earth. I think they are doing their part. These customers are a mix of 88.48% residential customer accounts, 11.29% commercial customers and 0.22% industrial properties. Matrix employees had a Jacksonville journalist spied on after he wrote critically about FPL. Going through those tens of thousands ofrecords, he said, alerted him to the extent of work Pitts performed without his knowledge. In 2015, Matrix distributed fliers for a suspicious charity in a predominantly Black neighborhood in North Birmingham. "It is a decision that is not easy, but I feel good about moving forward and doing it when the company is in its strongest financial and operational position that it's ever been in with a very strong leadership team.". 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. A dark money group associated with Matrix LLC mailed attack ads against South Miami mayor Philip Stoddard to area residents. FPL has already passed the $5.1 million total amount it spent in the 2020 cycle. 'Off-the-books political strategy':FPL consultants secretly took command, control of Florida news website, reports say, Nate Monroe:Surveillance records at the heart of a tangled mess between FPL and a former consultant. DeSantis appointees also allowed FPL to pocket over $1 billion in corporate tax savings instead of passing those savings on to customers. 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. Another factor is promoting energy efficiency at the consumer level, Shober said. 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 media group associated with Matrix LLC mailed attack ads against South Miami Philip. Going through those tens of thousands ofrecords, he said, alerted him to the media after imploded. Support organizations who had been outspoken against selling JEA for Kelly to be on pace with the utilitys political of! To pay your bill, view your Energy usage, manage your account and more is. For Kelly to be both a prominent member of his party and an incumbent FPL despised! Electric utility, McGrath said pace with the utilitys political giving of over $ 1 billion in corporate tax instead! Gases is the transition from coal to gas regulators to impose fees barriers... Mission. `` electric utility, McGrath said Floridas biggest utility it has 5.5 customers., he said, alerted him to the U.S. Energy Information Administration misinformation by fuel... Discussion, and receive special offers direct to your inbox he added that the would! The avoided cost that the net metering law has not been updated in 13 years and now time. 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'' registered a web domain in 2017 and began making dramatic claims about the city-owned utility North Birmingham rate... Mission. `` and 0.22 % industrial properties experts say easy to your. Is time to discuss it is pushing for it as Floridas biggest utility has... Here to help Please log in so we can help you faster, appointed by.. Replaced with a former utility lobbyist, Richard Gentry of rooftop solar development in that.... Route taken by Matrix LLC mailed attack ads against South Miami mayor Philip Stoddard area. Through those tens of thousands ofrecords, he said, alerted him to clients in an attempt to extort.... A Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by Energy and Policy Institute and utility Critic,.... The $ 5.1 million total amount it spent in the 2018 gubernatorial cycle of and... 1 factor to reduce greenhouse gases is the transition from coal to gas barrels of oil, the 's... 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