Our #1 newsletter delivers the weeks climate and energy news our original stories and top headlines from around the web. That's a tax rate of just 1.25 percent over that period, when the . Alissa Jean Schafer is a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute. China: A World Powerhouse . Watchdog exposing the attacks on renewable energy and countering misinformation by fossil fuel interests. In 2018, state Sen. Keith Perry won re-election against Democrat Kayser Enneking by about 2,000 votes, due in large part to a third-party former Democrat candidate likely pulling votes away from Enneking. Each wind energy facility includes a collection of wind turbines that, put simply, rapidly rotate to create energy. The other candidate later revealed that he had been bribed to run. Other utilities have tried similar strategies, but none have done it on the scale of NextEra. Broken Promises is one of only two groups that has contributed money to a Florida political committee called Consumers for Energy Fairness. Sources explain that inthe scheme, Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Republican endorsed by both PresidentDonald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis, received FL contributions through the FloridaRepublican Senatorial Campaign Committee (FRSCC). Florida utilities donated nearly $1.5 million to FRSCC in the 2020 cycle. Id. So What Is Community Solar? An internal NextEra investigation found no wrongdoing, executives on the companys latest earnings call said, adding that Silagys departure was unrelated to any controversies. In a Jan. 5 letter, they asked the commission to determine whether the company was using ratepayer money for political purposes. Pimentel replaces outgoing FP&L CEO Eric Silagy, who joined NextEra roughly two decades ago, worked as a top lobbyist for the company and has been at the center of some of its publicity problems. I dont think youre going to see any headlines like that (with Pimentel). Pimentel was CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, the companys unregulated arm focused on renewable power, for eight years before retiring in 2019. "Even if you put somebody who is a perfectly fine individual with a financial background and doesn't have this aggressive history it doesn't necessarily make up for the fact of all that did happen in very recent history," Schafer said. Inside Clean Energy is ICNs weekly bulletin of news and analysis about the energy transition. Community Solar Is About to Get a Surge in Federal Funding. Republican Ileana Garcia won the election by 32 votes. "I don't think you're going to see any headlines like that (with Pimentel).". The Miami Herald has confirmed that NextEra has been conducting an internal investigationon FPLs involvement in the ghost candidate scheme. Matrix spent big money on advertising for another candidate with the same last name as Rodrguez to split the vote. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Utility Front Group Advertisement Tracker, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, Gas utilities push RNG and hydrogen to expand fossil fuel infrastructure, AGA uses millions of dollars from utility customers to promote a fossil fuel agenda, Internal documents detail how gas utilities greenwash RNG and hydrogen, Front groups and trade associations funded by gas utilities fight electrification policies, List of deceptive RNG and hydrogen projects, Major investors warn utilities against carbon capture and offsets, obtained and published by Orlando Sentinel, According to reporting from the Orlando Sentinel. At NextEras fourth-quarter earnings call with financial analysts, Julien Patrick Dumoulin-Smith of Bank of America Securities asked Robo if he could share around some of the headlines pertaining to FPL here? The papers also reported that a member of the Jacksonville City Council who didnt want to sell the citys utility company to FPL was offered a job that was arranged by consultants for FPL in an unsuccessful attempt to get him to resign from the commission. Artiles accepted over $30,000 in political contributions from Florida utilities throughout his time in office, including $6,000 from NextEra, $4,500 from TECO, and $4,000 from Duke Energy in direct contributions. The Miami Herald and others reported claims that company executives worked with a consultant to derail certain state senate candidates and surveil a journalist who wrote critically about the regulated utility. A look at the changing global population. Last week, Seaport Global Securities downgraded NextEras stock from buy to neutral, citing concerns about growing media scrutiny of FPLs lobbying practices. But NextEras stock price has risen since then, largely in reaction to Sen. Joe Manchins announcement he is supporting clean energy legislation, which is good news for companies developing wind, solar and batteries. The scandal ballooned last week when three more arrests were made, including of Ben Paris, the chair of the Seminole County (FL) Republican Executive Committee. Chevron Corp. Chief Executive Michael Wirth on Tuesday said a consolidation between the five top Western oil producers remains a possibility but would face regulatory hurdles. Canopy quickly filed its own lawsuit against Matrix. FPL has also donated $20,000 to Perrys political committee, Building a Prosperous Florida, while TECO has donated $2,500. Its video library also archives coverage for later viewing. 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. 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The flight took place just prior to Artiles push on legislation that would have allowed NextEra to charge its Florida customers for out-of-state exploratory fracking. I know theres been a lot of back and forth and perhaps theres a lot of context to provide there. Dumoulin-Smith is director of U.S. Power, Utilities and Alternative Energy Equity Research for Bank of American Securities. The consultant behind Gostons campaign was Patrick Jay Bainter, the owner of a Republican political consulting firm, Data Targeting. On Wednesday, FPL spokesperson Chris McGrath denied that FPL was involved in the ghost candidate scheme. Dan Gearino covers the midwestern United States, part of ICNs National Environment Reporting Network. "I don't expect much of a change, leaving aside all of the stuff going on with the outgoing CEO," Patterson said. History of Power: Dominion Energy's Fluid Transition. In 2017, Perry voted in support of NextEras exploratory fracking legislation while serving on the Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee chaired by Artiles. Definition & Eligibility, Norwegian Plans Pricing Move That Royal Caribbean, Carnival Might Follow. Clarification: This story was updated on January 27, 2022, to reflect that the Jacksonville job was arranged by consultants for FPL, not directly by the company. A former NextEra colleague of Pimentels, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Pimentel was a straightforward, fact-based and driven coworker with a calm temperament. The legislators responded on Jan. 10, saying they considered the commissions review incomplete given the news stories. Where the scorpions on the corner just might kill you. A similar sounding utility front group, Energy Fairness, is a client of McNicholas & Associates. It begs the question of who the PSC serves is it Floridians or is it utility companies?. He was previously chief financial officer of NextEra Energy, a partner at Deloitte & Touche and an accounting fellow at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Since the arrest of former Florida Senator Frank Artiles on March 18, political journalists, investigators, and elected office-holders in the state have increasingly been asking one question: Who provided the funds for the scheme Artiles engineered? Entergy, which donated $10,000 to the Party and []. Siemens Gamesa, a Leading Maker of Wind Turbines, Is Struggling: Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa lowered its financial outlook for 2022 and said it expects to lose money this year and next as it deals with high costs of raw materials and tough competition. Armando Pimentel, who held executive roles in finance at NextEra for more than a decade before retiring in 2019, is coming back in what investors hope will mark the end of FP&L's era of . 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.. 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. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. He grew up in Warren County, Iowa, just south of Des Moines, and lives in Columbus, Ohio. To help figure this out, I reached out to David Pomerantz, who makes a living investigating utility companies as executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, a nonprofit watchdog organization. Im eager to see whats yet to come, and whether it leads to changes in the way FPL does business. 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. Campaign created by chips Armstrong Stop rewarding, and PUNISH those masquerading as renewable energy providers, like NextEra Energy Resources, formerly Florida Power & Light, and make them accountable for cleaning up their environmental carnage. ICN provides award-winning climate coverage free of charge and advertising. We deliver climate news to your inbox like nobody else. Canopy quickly filed its own lawsuit against Matrix. While it is not illegal to conspire to place a third-party candidate into an election, paying for that placement and failing to properly report the money involved is. Sign up for Mary Ellens newsletter Politics and Policy in the Sunshine State. Canopy was started by former Matrix employees, led by Jeff Pitts. NEW YORK (Reuters) - The new head of Florida Power & Light (FP&L) has at least one important objective above and beyond running U.S. power giant NextEra's crown jewel utility, analysts say: stay out of the headlines. 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. I wonder if NextEras problems in Florida may eventually affect the perception of the company in other places. Entergy, which donated $10,000 to the Party and [], [] has not shied away from shady political dealings in the past. It was also announced that Silagy, the president and CEO of FPL, will take on the added responsibility of chairman of FPL. NextEra's renewable arm, NextEra Energy Resources, had about 5,000 employees by the end of 2019, not counting construction jobs for new projectsinformation the company doesn't disclose . Another political committee that supported Goston, the third-party spoiler candidate in 2018, has financial connections to a group that appears to have utility connections. Data Targeting is one of the top political consulting firms for the Florida Republican Party. You can keep up with her work on her site Environment.co. NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with approximately 23,900 megawatts of total net generating . "We have welcomed Armando Pimentel back to our company and have confidence that he will use his deep industry and company experience to further strengthen the FPL organization, NextEra Energy spokesperson David Reuter said. This is a very good deal for the climate.. For example, Richard Alexander, who lives in Cullman, Alabama, 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. FPL CEO Eric Silagy appears to have personally directed money to the web of dark money groups, with records showing correspondence from Silagy to the consultants directly. Utilities gave nearly $2 million to five committees either linked to or controlled by AIF in the 2020 election cycle, over 20% of their total giving for the reporting period. In a Jan. 5 letter, they asked the commission to determine whether the company was using ratepayer money for political purposes. Unlike other companies that actively work toward creating clean energy, NextEra stumbled into the renewable energy industry somewhat unintentionally. The second Defendant, Cottonwood Wind . In one Orlando Sentinel article, Silagy was accused of working with a political consultant to harass a Democratic state senator who introduced legislation unfavorable to FP&L. That promise would allow the company to continue . John W. Ketchum Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer NextEra Energy, Inc. Chairman Florida Power & Light Company READ MORE Armando Pimentel President and Chief Executive Officer Letsgetstarted. NextEra Energy is the largest generator of renewable energy in the United States and possibly the world. The biggest user of the tax credit is Florida-based NextEra Energy, the nation's eighth-largest power producer. FPL engaged with dark money political committees to keep their profits safe in the wake of proposed legislation. Go to the kitchen tables of America. Rodriguez has pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. News. The firm, which also includes consultants Matt Mitchell and Michael Sheehan, came under intense scrutiny for their role in Floridas redistricting and were required to turn in over 1,800 pages of records as part of a lawsuit filed by Fair District voting-rights groups in 2013. 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. 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