Goston claimed he did not know or care where the money supporting his candidacy came from, according to the Gainesville Sun. 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. Pasco park restaurant plans must wait for study of nearby burial mound, Tampa race has 4 candidates, including 2 council veterans, seeking open seat, St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay Rays to discuss these 9 topics about Tropicana Field, Rays Tyler Glasnow sustains oblique injury during practice, Hillsborough must right-size its school system | Editorial. Mexican developer wants to build condos on the land starting at $3 million apiece. Floridas largest utility has a lot of explaining to do after news organizations revealed some unseemly conduct. We take all allegations seriously, and weve found no evidence that either FPL or our employees had any involvement in, financially supported, or directed any third party to support ghost candidates during last years Florida election cycle, he said. 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. A major new transmission line intended to pipe carbon-free hydropower from Canada into the U.S. Northeast has met a powerful opponent: the world's largest provider of renewable energy. Alissa Jean Schafer is a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute. By continuing to use this site, you accept this policy. Please support our work with a digital subscription. FPLs relationship with two political nonprofit committees Grow United and Lets Preserve the American Dream has come under recent scrutiny as part of a criminal investigation by the Miami-Dade County state attorney into a ghost candidate scandal. Both South Florida mailers for Alex Rodriguez and Celso Alfonso and Central Florida mailers for Jestine Iannotti featured identical text, focused on fixing health care, fighting climate change, and speaking truth to power. But nobody brought up FPLs alleged skulduggery during the hearing. Since 2020, Florida-based news organizations have reported about FP&Ls role in questionable political and campaign finance-related activity. 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. A similar sounding utility front group, Energy Fairness, is a client of McNicholas & Associates. The mailers featured similar language that appeared to target progressive voters, pulling from the Democratic candidate, as reported by the Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel. We can do so much more on student loan forgiveness. They probably chose him to be a steady the ship-type figure, said Jack Dearing, an analyst withWashington-based Capstone LLC, which advises investors and companies on policy issues. Heres the details, Miami Beach wants this nightclub to stop liquor sales at 2 a.m. Were working hard to bring you the latest news from the states legislative session. [], [] has not shied away from shady political dealings in the past. You can reach her at meklas@miamiherald.com and on Twitter @MaryEllenKlas. Research and documents obtained and published by Orlando Sentinel reporters reveal that senior officials at Florida Power & Light (FPL), the largest electric utility in Florida, provided funding to the organization and consultants who engineered the spoiler candidates. Clarification: This story was updated on Jan. 27, 2022, to reflect that the Jacksonville job was arranged by consultants for FPL, not directly by the company. AIF has close financial ties to Floridas investor owned utilities, as EPI has documented. If NextEra is to be the model of a sustainable energy giant, it must shed its brown assets. The retirement and subsequent. He pointed to some of NextEras conduct outside of Florida, like its opposition to a power line in Maine that would have delivered renewable energy from Canada and harmed the market for a nuclear plant co-owned by the company. Some critics of Florida Power & Light, like Alissa Jean Schafer of watchdog group Energy Policy Institute, have welcomed Pimentels uneventful background. That said, he acknowledges there is a cognitive dissonance between NextEras status as a major player in the transition to renewable energy and FPLs status as a utility that relies heavily on fossil fuels, with a reputation for fighting dirty in defending its interests. Dan Gearino covers the midwestern United States, part of ICNs National Environment Reporting Network. FPL has also donated $20,000 to Perrys political committee, Building a Prosperous Florida, while TECO has donated $2,500. The biggest user of the tax credit is Florida-based NextEra Energy, the nation's eighth-largest power producer. 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. "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. Community Solar Is About to Get a Surge in Federal Funding. They may have to wait until prosecutors investigate for answers, but Artiles history and ties to Florida utilities may provide some clues. When asked if their companys money was used either for the third party candidates campaign or in payment to Artiles directly, Neil Nissan, a spokesperson for Duke Energy, stated that it was not. Robo responded: Sure, Julian, I think you know, on some of the Florida political headlines I think what Id like to say on that is pretty simple., He said that when the company received the report and and those allegations that have been in the press, we conducted a very extensive and thorough investigation that included looking at company financial records and include looking at everyone who was named and its company emails. He said those involved all provided access to their personal emails and texts to us as part of that investigation., He concluded: The bottom line is we found no evidence of any issues at all, any illegality, or any wrongdoing on the part of FPL or any of its employees., Robo added that he felt very good about the investigation that we did, and I feel very good that there is, you know, no basis to any of these allegations. He grew up in Warren County, Iowa, just south of Des Moines, and lives in Columbus, Ohio. The history of scandals by FPL and parent company NextEra ushers in a wave of concern about what the future of clean energy and future sustainability programs could look like. He helped build NextEra Energy Resources and seemed to choose his retirement as opposed to being forced out, the former colleague said. Entergy, which donated $10,000 to the Party and []. John Ketchum, a 19-year veteran of NextEra Energy, is named president and chief executive officer (CEO), NextEra Energy.He will report directly to the NextEra Energy, Inc. Board of Directors. When McClure first introduced the concept of changing Floridas net metering policy in 2019, he had already taken over $20,000 from investor-owned utilities. They asked if the PSCs review was enough. Resistance to Renewable Energy Is Growing in Americas Farm Country: The need to build vast amounts of solar power is colliding with local concerns about how the projects will affect the look and feel of home. In all races, the Republican won the []. Eskamani of Orlando said Baezs response left her unsatisfied. There are two civil lawsuits in the mix as well. Inside Climate News uses cookies. The Florida Legislative Session begins January 11, 2022. Christopher Sabella elected as Hillsborough Countys next chief judge, Tampa Bay harbor pilots pay raise request stirs storm at Tampas port, Prominent Florida political consultants may face criminal charges in sham candidate case, Get Capitol Buzz, a special bonus edition of The Buzz with Emily L. Mahoney, each Saturday while the Legislature is meeting, Florida Senate sponsor agrees to weaken preemption bill. 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.. This is a very good deal for the climate.. The Office of Public Counsel, which advocates on behalf of Florida utility customers, also stated that it was a net benefit in that same workshop. Other stories about the energy transition to take note of this week: Deep in the Democrats Climate Bill, Analysts See More Wins for Clean Energy Than Gifts for Fossil Fuel Business: U.S. Senate leaders have included plenty of favors for the fossil fuel industry in the big climate package they hope to advance this week, but most analysts have concluded these concessions amount to consolation prizes in a deal where clean energy is the clear winner. 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 mailers attacking the Democratic candidate, all paid for by new, out-of-state political committees. His coverage deals with the business side of the clean-energy transition and he writes ICNs Inside Clean Energy newsletter. FPLs consultants used similar spoiler candidate tactics in the 2020 election cycle in three senate races throughout the state. 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. The scandal brings light to the measures electric companies will go to in order to protect their profits even those that claim to be in favor of pursuing renewable energy. The no-party candidate, Alexis Alex Rodriguez, who did not campaign, received more than 6,000 votes. 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 NextEras crown jewel utility, analysts say: stay out of the headlines. A look at the changing global population. Contacted for a response, a NextEra spokesman did not address the issues at FPL or the potential for blowback for the parent company, but he did point to recent comments from Kirk Crews, NextEras chief financial officer. NextEra Energy is the largest generator of renewable energy in the United States and possibly the world. In 2018-19, Mary Ellen was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. This story was originally published January 27, 2022, 6:00 AM. Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? The club is suing, What makes Knaus Berry Farm such a landmark? Life expectancy in the U.S. fell during the same period that a Reagan-era law raised the retirement age by two years. Date. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. 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. Every day or once a week, our original stories and digest of the webs top headlines deliver the full story, for free. Though the Florida Power & Light scandal is one of the more recent topics bringing NextEra to the forefront of public attention, the company is certainly no stranger to controversy. Where did the $4 million paid by FPL to consultants working with Grow United, the nonprofit organization that funded the ghost candidate advertising, originate from and what was it spent on? Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by Energy and Policy Institute. We know about FPLs actions thanks to reporting by the Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald and The Florida Times-Union, some of it in partnership with the nonprofit Floodlight. Bradleys political committee, Women Building the Future, has taken $47,500 from investor-owned utilities, with $12,500 coming from NextEra Energy and $35,000 from TECO. Possible outcomes from this scandal include increased wariness of NextEra from individuals and politicians, which could put the growth of clean energy at risk. The raid and arrest came months after Artiles took credit for placing the previously unknown third party candidate, Alex Rodriguez, in the race for Senate District 37, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, as reported by Miami Herald last December. Pomerantz said the goal of moving to zero emissions is a very good one, but he questions the feasibility of using hydrogen as a major part of generating electricity. Nowhere in its 2021 ESG report does NextEra even mention methane . Pimentel was CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, the company's unregulated arm focused on renewable power, for eight years before retiring in 2019. The company was implicated in aghost candidate scheme in Floridathat ousted a climate advocate from state office. Has FPL ever given money to another nonprofit who worked with the consultants Lets Preserve the American Dream? Their power over utilities in Florida was challenged by legislation proposed by the Democratic Senator of Florida, Jos Javier Rodrguez, in 2019. 7,400 gallons of wastewater spilled into Johns Pass. 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. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and . NextEra Energy, the parent company of Florida Power & Light and Gulf Power, offered $11 billion in a failed attempt to purchase Jacksonville-based JEA that would have netted former JEA executives millions of dollars in bonuses. Armando Pimentel, who held executive roles in finance at NextEra for more than a decade before retiring in 2019, is coming . Rodriguez has pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. NextEra, TECO, and AIF did not respond to a request for comment. Its video library also archives coverage for later viewing. An internal NextEra investigation found no wrongdoing, executives on the companys latest earnings call said, adding that Silagys departure was unrelated to any controversies. Jim Robo, the current chairman and CEO, will become executive chairman for a transition period, and it is anticipated that Mr. Ketchum will also be appointed to the company's board of directors effective . Watchdog exposing the attacks on renewable energy and countering misinformation by fossil fuel interests. ICN provides award-winning climate coverage free of charge and advertising. On Wednesday, FPL spokesperson Chris McGrath denied that FPL was involved in the ghost candidate scheme. 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. The reporting also found that the same FPL consultants have been involved in setting up front groups to advance FPLs political agenda, and paid activists to promote FPLs interests. The third-party candidate in that race, Charles Goston, earned about 4,300 votes as an independent, despite being a lifelong Democrat. In 2017, Perry voted in support of NextEras exploratory fracking legislation while serving on the Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee chaired by Artiles. There is no word on whether the internal investigationaddressed efforts associated with Operation Ginger., Copyright 2021 US TIMES NOW Cream Magazine by Themebeez, NextEra Energy (NE) is currently under investigation by the Florida Department of Law, SSD enabled fast speed data processing in Europe based VPS Server Hosting from TheServerHost, Ace DJ Artist talent DJ Nitin(NG) aka Nitin Gaikwad is Gaining Global Popularity As An Wedding DJ, Spotify is introducing a new and improved plus button in place of its heart icon, Palantir will eliminate 75 jobs or about 2% of the employees, Dr. Malda Aldaoudi consider Lifted Eyebrows and Fox Eye Lift as the latest trends. Inside Clean Energy is ICNs weekly bulletin of news and analysis about the energy transition. But the company is limited in what it can do to defend itself because of reams of evidence, in leaked emails and texts, showing that company executives were aware of at least some of what was happening. ESI Energy LLC, Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Nextera Energy Resources LLC, Is Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Killing and Wounding Eagles in Its Wind Energy Operations, in Violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act | USAO-EDCA | Department of Justice Share Department of Justice U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of California Alissa Jean Schafer is a research and communications specialist at the Energy and Policy Institute. Earlier this month, the reporting by the Orlando Sentinel, Florida Times-Union, and the Miami Herald prompted four Democratic lawmakers to ask state regulators to conduct an audit of FPL, the largest utility company in the nation and a monopoly regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission. Artiles has pleaded not guilty to the charges. We take all allegations seriously, and weve found no evidence that either FPL or our employees had any involvement in, financially supported, or directed any third party to support ghost candidates during last years Florida election cycle, he said. 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.. 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