FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a Contractors of America conference, Jan. 10, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. A Florida bill waiting to be signed by DeSantis would strip the term “climate change” from much of state law and reverse a policy then-Gov. Charlie Crist championed as he built a reputation for being a rare Republican fighting to promote green energy over fossil fuels. TALLAHASSEE, Fla.
“We’re protecting consumers, we’re protecting consumer pricing, we’re protecting them with great reliability and we’re protecting to make sure we don’t have a lack of energy security in our state. That’s where we’re moving as far as our policies,” said Republican Rep. Bobby Payne.
But Payne said the Crist-era law makes it more difficult for the state to be more flexible in meeting its energy needs. Payne, who spent nearly four decades in the power industry before retiring, said he isn’t convinced that humanity’s energy consumption is destroying the planet. He also notes three-quarters of the state’s energy is provided by natural gas, leaving it vulnerable to market fluctuations.