Inside Clean Energy: A Dirty Scandal for a Clean Energy Leader

Florida’s largest utility has lots of explaining to do after information organizations revealed some unseemly conduct.

The experiences present that Florida Energy & Mild employed a political consulting agency that engaged in soiled tips to hurt or in any other case neutralize the corporate’s perceived opponents, together with elected officers and journalists. 

A few of this—like turning a information web site right into a mouthpiece for the utility or surveilling a newspaper columnist within the hopes of catching him doing one thing embarrassing—sounds just like the stuff of conspiracy theories.

FPL has stated it was not absolutely conscious of what its marketing consultant was doing, and it has forged doubt on a number of the reporting. However the firm is restricted in what it will possibly do to defend itself due to reams of proof, in leaked emails and texts, exhibiting that firm executives had been conscious of not less than a few of what was occurring.

I’m all for what occurred with FPL, however I’m additionally whether or not this cascade of revelations may hurt the utility’s mother or father firm, NextEra Power, which occurs to be the most important generator of renewable vitality in america, and possibly the world.

NextEra, additionally primarily based in Florida, has turn out to be a large by racking up earnings from its regulated utility enterprise at FPL and utilizing that as a basis to construct wind, photo voltaic and battery initiatives throughout america and Canada. Different utilities have tried related methods, however none have carried out it on the size of NextEra.

Final month, I attended a public listening to for a NextEra photo voltaic proposal in central Ohio, and I noticed how a number of backers of the undertaking talked in regards to the firm’s involvement as a very good factor. (Right here’s the listening to transcript.)

“I consider that NextEra is a good developer,” stated Jeremy Welch, testifying on the listening to on behalf of a union that helps the undertaking.

I additionally noticed how opponents of renewable vitality improvement hardly ever miss a possibility to sow mistrust within the developer, with speak of how wind or photo voltaic could be an eyesore and probably hurt property values. However no one introduced up FPL’s alleged skulduggery through the listening to.

I’m wondering if NextEra’s issues in Florida could ultimately have an effect on the notion of the corporate in different places. To assist determine this out, I reached out to David Pomerantz, who makes a dwelling investigating utility corporations as government director of the Power and Coverage Institute, a nonprofit watchdog group.

He began by questioning my premise that NextEra has a very good popularity whereas its subsidiary, FPL, has taken some severe hits. He pointed to a few of NextEra’s conduct outdoors of Florida, like its opposition to an influence line in Maine that might have delivered renewable vitality from Canada and harmed the marketplace for a nuclear plant co-owned by the corporate.

That stated, he acknowledges there’s a “cognitive dissonance” between NextEra’s standing as a significant participant within the transition to renewable vitality and FPL’s standing as a utility that depends closely on fossil fuels, with a popularity for preventing soiled in defending its pursuits.

FPL this yr introduced a plan it calls “Actual Zero” to utterly remove carbon emissions from its operations by 2045. One a part of that’s to transform gas-fired energy vegetation to run on hydrogen. Pomerantz stated the aim of transferring to zero emissions is an excellent one, however he questions the feasibility of utilizing hydrogen as a significant a part of producing electrical energy.

To the bigger query of NextEra’s public picture, Pomerantz solutions with a query:

“What occurs when the corporate’s popularity as an unethical actor … extends to their clear vitality efforts?” he requested. “In case you are someone who possibly is on the fence about whether or not a wind farm ought to come to your group, and also you see all this about what NextEra has carried out—and it’s true, (the corporate) actually has behaved terribly—then, does that make you kind of reliable of them?”

NextEra’s executives and shareholders have cause to fret, however it’s too quickly to know the way a lot. So much will depend upon how FPL conducts itself transferring ahead.

Final week, Seaport International Securities downgraded NextEra’s inventory from “purchase” to “impartial,” citing issues “about rising media scrutiny of FPL’s lobbying practices.” However NextEra’s inventory value has risen since then, largely in response to Sen. Joe Manchin’s announcement he’s supporting clear vitality laws, which is nice information for corporations growing wind, photo voltaic and batteries. 

Contacted for a response, a NextEra spokesman didn’t handle the problems at FPL or the potential for blowback for the mother or father firm, however he did level to latest feedback from Kirk Crews, NextEra’s chief monetary officer. Crews stated final month in a name with analysts that he’s assured within the firm’s long-term plan to proceed growing improvement of wind, photo voltaic and batteries.

We learn about FPL’s actions due to reporting by the Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald and The Florida Instances-Union, a few of it in partnership with the nonprofit Floodlight. I’m desperate to see what’s but to come back, and whether or not it results in modifications in the way in which FPL does enterprise.

Different tales in regards to the vitality transition to be aware of this week:

Deep within the Democrats’ Local weather Invoice, Analysts See Extra Wins for Clear Power Than Presents for Fossil Gasoline Enterprise: U.S. Senate leaders have included loads of favors for the fossil gasoline business within the large local weather bundle they hope to advance this week, however most analysts have concluded these concessions quantity to comfort prizes in a deal the place clear vitality is the clear winner. A workforce of ICN reporters led by Marianne Lavelle examined the invoice and spoke with outdoors specialists to get an concept of its implications. “The numbers actually are very, very clear right here,” stated Anand Gopal, government director of technique and coverage for the suppose tank Power Innovation. “This can be a excellent deal for the local weather.” 

Resistance to Renewable Power Is Rising in America’s Farm Nation: The necessity to construct huge quantities of solar energy is colliding with native issues about how the initiatives will have an effect on the appear and feel of dwelling. I’ve been spending time in Williamsport, Ohio, to have a look at the talk over the photo voltaic proposal. On this first story in a sequence, I have a look at how the plan has divided the group and strained relationships between longtime mates and neighbors. “I don’t have very many neighbors speak to me anymore,” stated Mark Schein, a retired farmer who upset folks by leasing his property for the undertaking, together with a couple of dozen others locally. I reported this story with Tracy Wholf, coordinating local weather producer for ABC Information, and we additionally labored collectively on a particular episode of ABC’s podcast Start Here that delves into the nuanced issues on either side of the battle. 

Siemens Gamesa, a Main Maker of Wind Generators, Is Struggling: Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa lowered its monetary outlook for 2022 and stated it expects to lose cash this yr and subsequent because it offers with excessive prices of uncooked supplies and difficult competitors. The corporate, which has its most important workplace in Spain, is hinting at job cuts, as Isla Binnie experiences for Reuters. “In some elements of our group there are capacities manner past their want and that must be rectified,” CEO Jochen Eickholt stated in a convention name with analysts.

In California, Wait Lists for EV Rebates Are Lengthy and Some Applications Have Shut Down: California must ramp up gross sales of electrical automobiles to tackle local weather change and scale back air air pollution, however customers are having bother navigating the state’s incentives and rebates, as Nadia Lopez experiences for CalMatters. “We obtained into this program and it’s not serving to prefer it’s speculated to,” stated Quintin Nelms, who has confronted an extended watch for his rebate. “It’s ineffective presently as a result of there’s nothing on the market and the vehicles that you simply do discover, every part’s gone up in value.”

Inside Clear Power is ICN’s weekly bulletin of reports and evaluation in regards to the vitality transition. Ship information ideas and inquiries to dan.gearino@insideclimatenews.org.