David Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, is featured in an op-ed published in The Invading Sea titled Here’s why FPL, Duke and TECO want the Public Service Commission to raise your power bills. The piece looks at a request from Florida’s largest utilities asking state regulators to approve higher electricity rates. It explains how companies like Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, and Tampa Electric rely heavily on natural gas and other fossil fuels, which are tied to volatile global markets. When fuel prices rise, those costs are passed directly through to customers’ monthly bills. The op-ed also points to the role of aging power plants and long-term infrastructure costs, which utilities recover through rate increases approved by the Public Service Commission. The result, according to the piece, is that many of these underlying costs ultimately show up in what households pay each month for electricity. Read the full op-ed here:...
While most Floridians were enjoying some time off over the holidays, the folks at the state’s monopoly utilities — Florida Power & Light (FPL), Duke and Tampa Electric (TECO) — were busy playing Scrooge. They were asking permission from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to batter their customers with yet another post-hurricane rate hike. On Dec. 27, Duke and TECO filed requests with the PSC to hit their customers up for an extra $262 million and $281 million, respectively. FPL shopped early, securing approval for a $1.2 billion hike on Dec. 4. This is all on top of base rate hikes. The PSC recently approved huge base rate hikes for Duke and TECO. Duke customers are paying an extra $21 per month, with TECO customers on the hook for an extra $9 per month. Those base rates will go up even further in 2026 — and that’s not counting the requested storm-related hikes. FPL customers will likely get the same double whammy. In addition to its hurricane-related charges, on Dec. 30 the utility filed a base rate request to charge customers an extra $1.55 billion starting in 2026. And thanks to some clever, if disingenuous, utility talking points, much of the press coverage has parroted their spin, ludicrously framing these hikes as a win for consumers. For example, when Duke secured its base rate hike, the headline in the Tampa Bay Times was: “Florida Duke Energy customers will see smaller rate hikes on their bills next year.” Smaller than what? Well, smaller than the $820 million hike Duke initially said it wanted. The real headline should have been the...
When it comes to Florida state officials, the lyrics from an old Sam Cooke song come to mind: “Don’t know much about … ,” but instead of “history,” the word here is “energy.” And that would be putting it mildly. Mind-numbing ignorance would be a more accurate description, and Floridians are paying the price with skyrocketing utility bills and unbearable insurance costs. In fact, in 2023 Florida’s energy bills were the fourth highest in the nation. One problem is that most Florida decision-makers either don’t understand, or are unwilling to acknowledge, the basic fundamentals of today’s energy market. While that market, both in the U.S. and globally, has changed dramatically over the past decade, the attitudes of Florida’s officials have not. Energy sources that used to be the cheapest, like coal and natural gas, have gotten much more expensive, while sources that used to be cost prohibitive, like solar, wind and nuclear, are now often the cheapest. There are a few reasons for this change. First, our remaining coal and natural gas-fired power plants are old — between 30 and 50 years old — and cost much more to maintain and operate than they used to. Also, because we now export roughly 13% of U.S. natural gas overseas — and that percentage is expected to double by 2028 — gas prices here are not only increasing, they are becoming more volatile. Just like with gasoline, natural gas is now a global commodity, and its price can suddenly spike due to events halfway around the world. By contrast, the price of solar is cheap and getting cheaper. In sunny states,...
David Jenkins, president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship, is featured in a Newsweek article covering a dispute over federal land management policy involving Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert and the Bureau of Land Management. The piece focuses on a proposed federal land rule tied to oil and gas leasing and efforts in Congress to overturn it. Jenkins’ comments highlight concerns that rolling back the policy could shift cleanup and environmental restoration costs away from industry and onto taxpayers, particularly when it comes to abandoned wells and long-term land impacts. The broader discussion centers on how public lands are managed and how energy development policies intersect with environmental responsibility and government accountability. Read the full article:...
Have you ever stopped to think about how much we owe to the tiny creatures flying around our gardens? Bees, butterflies, bats and birds are unsung heroes of our ecosystems, playing a vital role in pollination. This process is essential for producing the fruits, vegetables, and nuts we love. Understanding why pollinators are essential and discovering ways to protect them can help us do our part to ensure a healthier planet. Why Pollinators Matter Pollinators are like nature’s matchmakers, helping plants reproduce by transferring pollen from one flower to another. This might sound simple, but it’s a big deal! Over 75% of the world’s flowering plants and about one-third of our food supply depend on pollinators. Imagine a world without apples, almonds, blueberries, or cucumbers—that’s what we’re facing if we don’t protect these little helpers. And the damage to our agriculture industry and our economy as a whole would be enormous. Why Pollinators are in Trouble Sadly, our pollinator populations are declining at a rapid rate. The American Bumblebee, for example, has vanished from eight states and is in serious decline elsewhere. The Monarch Butterfly population has declined almost 60%, and the list goes on. The threats facing pollinators include: Habitat Loss: Urban sprawl, agriculture, and deforestation are shrinking the natural homes of pollinators. Pesticides: These chemicals, which are used widely in agriculture, by pest control companies, and by homeowners, are deadly to pollinators—especially if applied around flowering plants—either killing them outright or harming their ability to forage and reproduce. Climate Change: Shifting temperatures and weather patterns disrupt the delicate balance of pollinators’ life cycles and the plants they...
