Latest news with #FPL
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrat who fell victim to ‘ghost candidate' scheme running for attorney general
Five years after losing his reelection bid to the Florida Senate amid a 'ghost candidate' scheme, José Javier Rodríguez is running for Attorney General. 'For decades, powerful interests have rigged the system to serve themselves while everyday working Floridians are left paying more but getting less,' Rodríguez said in a June 2 statement. 'I'm running to be the People's Lawyer to keep us safe, root out corruption, and go after those who make backroom deals in Tallahassee to pass costs onto us; I'm running to give families, workers and homeowners some relief.' In 2020, Rodríguez, a Miami Democrat, lost by 34 votes to Republican Ileana Garcia out of more than 210,000 ballots cast. Alex Rodriguez, a no-party-affiliated candidate, was paid by GOP operatives to be a 'ghost candidate' to siphon votes from José Javier Rodríguez, according to prosecutors. Garcia has said she had no knowledge of the scheme and was never accused of any wrongdoing. Frank Artiles, a Miami Republican who served in the House and Senate, was later sent to jail for paying Alex Rodríguez. Two other no-party state senate candidates that year were paid by outside interests to divert votes away from the Democratic candidates, but didn't receive enough votes to make a difference in the outcome. As a senator, Rodríguez was one of the most vocal about tackling climate change and critical of investor-owned utilities in the state, particularly Florida Power & Light. He filed legislation to allow homeowners to sell solar power to their tenants, something FPL lobbied against. FPL's then-CEO Eric Silagy directed two vice presidents to 'make his life a living hell,' referring to Rodríguez, in a 2019 email that was later uncovered. FPL, though, said they had no involvement in the ghost candidate scheme. But reporting by the Orlando Sentinel uncovered the utility's connection to Matrix LLC, a consulting firm that paid for mailer ads boosting Alex Rodriguez. 'I've never been afraid to take on tough fights, whether it's holding powerful corporations accountable, challenging broken systems, or defending everyday Floridians,' José Javier Rodríguez said. 'The law should protect people, not the powerful. So let me be clear: as the People's Lawyer, if you're dangerous or scamming Floridians, no matter how powerful you are, I'm coming for you.' Rodriguez is the only Democrat in the Attorney General race so far, but he faces a fierce challenge on the campaign trail. Florida has turned into a safe state for Republicans in statewide races, with the GOP racking up a 1.2 million active voter registration advantage over Democrats in the last four years. Even when Democrats outnumbered Republicans, a Democrat has not won the Florida Attorney General's office since 1998, when Bob Butterworth was reelected. On the Republican side, James Uthmeier, Gov. Ron DeSantis' former chief of staff, was appointed to the position in February. He replaced Ashley Moody, whom DeSantis appointed to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate. Rubio left that job to be U.S. secretary of state under President Donald Trump. Uthmeier, though, might not have an easy ride to the GOP nomination; there's still a possibility former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Shalimar, could enter the race. Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@ Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Democrat José Javier Rodríguez running for Florida Attorney General
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
FPL Scout: Season review and Brentford's top six performers
Brentford teamed up with Fantasy Football Scout to help bring you hints, tips and advice during the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season. Scout used their expertise to provide info, advice and Gameweek tips to help you in your mini-leagues. Advertisement Following the conclusion of the campaign, they have reviewed the year's best performers, including record-breaking Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, as well as highlighting the Bees' top six point scorers this term. FPL Season round-up So that's another FPL campaign done and dusted. One that was dominated by Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) who, by Gameweek 28, had already set a new all-time FPL record for points in a season. The Egyptian's final-day strike took his tally to 344, thanks in no small part to 47 goal contributions. Furthermore, none of the previous three seasons saw a player exceed 11 double-digit scores. Salah achieved 12 of these in his first 18 outings, reaching 17 before Gameweek 29. Advertisement In fact, by doing so in both Double Gameweek 24 encounters, he allowed one million Triple Captain users to receive a huge 87 points from the chip. And nobody hit the woodwork more frequently, either. Elsewhere, Newcastle United's Alexander Isak (£9.4m) started and ended slowly, but there were 18 outings between Gameweeks 9 and 26 where he netted an incredible 18 times and contributed four assists. Nottingham Forest often married a watertight defence with Chris Wood's (£7.2m) goals, while late Jarrod Bowen (£7.9m) form for West Ham almost saw him become the sixth player to reach 200 points. Best of the Bees As for Brentford, some excellent home displays provided seven wins and a draw from the first eight at Gtech Community Stadium. Advertisement Then, early January's 5-0 victory at Southampton changed fortunes on the road, with it being the first of five successive away wins. 23 points were collected from the Bees' subsequent 10 trips. Joint-fifth for goals (66) and seventh for big chances (109), Thomas Frank's players brought in 1,619 of this FPL season's overall 31,291 points, the joint-eighth most. Unsurprisingly, champions Liverpool contributed the most (2,066). So let's pick out some of this FPL campaign's most memorable Bees individuals... Bryan Mbeumo (£8.3m) - 236 points Deemed by most managers as an essential pick in later months, no player saw a bigger price rise over the year, having begun at £7.0m. Advertisement Mbeumo's final-day goal took him to a nice, round 20, as only Salah secured more FPL points than his 236. There were several reasons for this. No midfielder or forward was on the pitch as long (3,412 minutes), with the Cameroon international also having multiple routes to points. Not just a penalty taker, Mbeumo took many set-pieces and crossed more than anyone else (202). This helped him rank joint-fourth for big chances created (17). Yoane Wissa (£6.9m) - 185 points Meanwhile, his partner in crime also finished among the league's top-eight point scorers (185). It would've been even more had October's second strike against Ipswich been credited to him quicker. Advertisement Originally seen as Wissa assisting an own goal, the Gameweek had already ended when this was corrected days later. The centre-forward joins Mbeumo on six double-digit hauls, beating him for attempts (90 v 85) and big chances (34 v 20), all for a cheaper price. He's fifth overall for the latter, alongside being sixth best for shots on target (41). Mark Flekken (£4.5m) - 138 points Time to briefly credit the backline. Flekken is ahead of all other goalkeepers in Europe's top five divisions for saves (156), leading the way for FPL save points (39). He secured three clean sheets in Brentford's final eight matches, with a combination of conceding the second-most shots (647) over the season but allowing the seventh-fewest big chances (80). Advertisement Not content with defensive returns, Flekken even added two assists to his name. Nathan Collins (£4.6m) - 127 points Frank likes consistent line-ups: seven of his players started at least 34 times. Yet Collins was the only Premier League outfielder to play every single minute of 2024/25. He made use of that time, winning the division's third-most aerial duels (117) and blocking the highest number of shots (57) throughout all positions. But Collins' attacking threat was often underrated. After all, the 24-year-old delivered two goals and seven FPL assists - Fulham's Antonee Robinson (£4.7m) was the only defender to set up more. Advertisement Indeed, he's sixth best at the back for both big chances (six) and penalty area touches (72). Kevin Schade (£4.6m) - 149 points Listed as an FPL midfielder, Kevin Schade recorded 2024/25's second-biggest score from a single match. In Gameweek 13, he scored his first career hat-trick and added an assist in a 4-1 win against Leicester City, with bonuses taking him to 23 points. A constant starter from Gameweek 23 onwards, the German spent quite a while priced at just £5.1m. His 160 box touches wasn't far behind Wissa and Mbeumo, finishing the campaign by netting four goals in the closing five fixtures. Mikkel Damsgaard (£4.9m) - 131 points Finally, playmaker Mikkel Damsgaard joins Mbeumo inside the league's top eight players for chances created (63). These led to an impressive 10 assists. What undoubtedly helped was starting 34 of the most recent 36 occasions, ensuring the 24-year-old experienced his first season of significant Brentford game time.
E&E News
5 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
Group claiming to represent data centers objects to Fla. utility rate hike push
TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A nascent group claiming to represent planned new data centers in the state is objecting to Florida Power & Light's $2.5 billion rate hike request. Details: State records show the Florida Energy for Innovation Association was incorporated May 7, just eight days before it asked the Public Service Commission to allow it to intervene in the rate case. The association said in a motion that the FPL request includes a new rate structure that would charge large customers, including data centers, 65 percent more than existing rates. Advertisement The Florida Energy for Innovation Association doesn't give any details about the new centers it says its members are planning. And FPL objected to allowing the association to intervene.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
FPL shares its 2025 hurricane preparedness checklist to help Floridians get ready for the next big storm
With the official start to the Atlantic Hurricane Season just days away, Florida Power & Light is urging all customers to be prepared before the storm hits home. This week, FPL released its annual checklist of important details for Floridians to consider before, during and after a tropical storm or hurricane, saying that "safety is the cornerstone of our commitment to customers and employees." "It is not a matter of if, but when the next hurricane will hit our state, which is why it's important to be proactive in planning for the six-month-long hurricane season," the utility provider said. The consensus among hurricane forecasters is that the Atlantic Ocean, with generally warmer-than-normal water temperatures, is poised for another above-average season. The season will start Sunday and last through Nov. 30. With that in mind, here are FPL's tips on how to get ready before the storm strikes: Create an emergency plan with your family FPL said people should first determine if their home or business is in a flood and evacuation zone, and review their evacuation routes. Also, Floridians should determine their backup power source or make necessary arrangements to relocate themselves if a storm warning is issued. According to FPL, the Division of Emergency Management recommends keeping gas tanks at least half full during hurricane season, and electric vehicles need to maintain a 50%-80% charge at all times. Floridians should also contact their local emergency management office if they or anyone they know has special needs, in case of evacuations. FPL also recommends that Floridians apply for its Medically Essential Service if someone in their home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment. Build an emergency kit FPL also recommends that Floridians build an emergency kit for themselves and their families, as major storms could impact access to necessary services. The utility provider recommends that everyone have the following in their kits: Radio Flashlights Batteries Phone charger Power banks Car charger Non-perishable food Disposable dinnerware and utensils Medications and prescriptions Personal hygiene supplies Baby supplies Pet food Trash bags Toilet paper Soap Detergent Also, FPL recommends everyone to collect their important documents and place them inside waterproof containers, such as insurance policies, health cards, birth certificates, Social Security cards, phone number lists, medication lists and a copy of their FPL and other utility bills. Prepare your home Before the storm comes, FPL said people should store outside objects inside, fasten doors and windows, cover valuables and furniture with plastic, and move away from windows. Floridians should also turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, including pool equipment. If your roof or windows leak, FPL said water in the walls and ceiling may come into contact with electrical wiring, so people should immediately turn off any circuit breakers, disconnect all electrical appliances and turn off all wall switches. Additionally, FPL said to never stand in water while operating and unplugging any electrical device. FPL said people should also set their refrigerators and freezers to their coldest settings ahead of time to keep food fresh longer in the event of a power outage. The utility provider also said people should never attempt to trim any vegetation growing on or near power lines. For more information on tree trimming policies, visit Additionally, FPL said everyone should look up and note the location of power lines before beginning work on a ladder, and stay at least 10 feet away from them. Stay safe and informed If anyone is using a portable generator, FPL recommends that people read and follow all the manufacturer's instructions before operating. Also, be sure to set it up outside your home, and connect appliances directly to it and do not wire the generator to your breaker or fuse box to prevent power surges and cause injuries. Additionally, FPL said everyone should stay far away from and do not touch downed power lines or flooded and debris-laden areas that may be hiding downed power lines. If you find any, call 911 and 1 (800) 4-OUTAGE (468-8243) to report them. To stay updated on any power outages, bookmark download the FPL app and save 1 (800) 4-OUTAGE in your phone to report and check restoration statuses. FPL added that people should also follow their local news outlets and @insideFPL for updates on storm conditions and heed all warnings. For more tips, visit
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NextEra Energy to meet with investors at the end of May and throughout June
JUNO BEACH, Fla., May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) today announced that members of the senior management team will participate in various investor meetings at the end of May and throughout June to discuss, among other things, long-term growth-rate expectations. Investors and other interested parties can access a copy of the most recent presentation materials at NextEra Energy, Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is one of the largest electric power and energy infrastructure companies in North America and is a leading provider of electricity to American homes and businesses. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, NextEra Energy is a Fortune 200 company that owns Florida Power & Light Company, America's largest electric utility, which provides reliable electricity to approximately 12 million people across Florida. NextEra Energy also owns one of the largest energy infrastructure development companies in the U.S., NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. NextEra Energy and its affiliated entities are meeting America's growing energy needs with a diverse mix of energy sources, including natural gas, nuclear, renewable energy and battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: . Cautionary Statements and Risk Factors That May Affect Future Results This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts, but instead represent the current expectations of NextEra Energy, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy) regarding future operating results and other future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of NextEra Energy's control Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements concerning long-term growth-rate expectations. In some cases, you can identify the forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "will," "may result," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," "seek," "potential," "projection," "forecast," "predict," "goals," "target," "outlook," "should," "would" or similar words or expressions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance. The future results of NextEra Energy and its business and financial condition are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, or may require it to limit or eliminate certain operations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this news release and the following: effects of extensive regulation of NextEra Energy's business operations; inability of NextEra Energy to recover in a timely manner any significant amount of costs, a return on certain assets or a reasonable return on invested capital through base rates, cost recovery clauses, other regulatory mechanisms or otherwise; impact of political, regulatory, operational and economic factors on regulatory decisions important to NextEra Energy; effect of any reductions or modifications to, or elimination of, governmental incentives or policies that support clean energy projects or the imposition of additional tax laws, tariffs, duties, policies or other costs or assessments on clean energy or equipment necessary to generate, store or deliver it; impact of new or revised laws, regulations, executive orders, interpretations or constitutional ballot and regulatory initiatives on NextEra Energy; capital expenditures, increased operating costs and various liabilities attributable to environmental laws, regulations and other standards applicable to NextEra Energy; effects on NextEra Energy of federal or state laws or regulations mandating new or additional limits on the production of greenhouse gas emissions; exposure of NextEra Energy to significant and increasing compliance costs and substantial monetary penalties and other sanctions as a result of extensive federal, state and local government regulation of its operations and businesses; effect on NextEra Energy of changes in tax laws, guidance or policies as well as in judgments and estimates used to determine tax-related asset and liability amounts; impact on NextEra Energy of adverse results of litigation; impacts of NextEra Energy of allegations of violations of law; effect on NextEra Energy of failure to proceed with projects under development or inability to complete the construction of (or capital improvements to) electric generation, storage, transmission and distribution facilities, natural gas and oil production and transportation facilities or other facilities on schedule or within budget; impact on development and operating activities of NextEra Energy resulting from risks related to project siting, planning, financing, construction, permitting, governmental approvals and the negotiation of project development agreements, as well as supply chain disruptions; risks involved in the operation and maintenance of electric generation, storage, transmission and distribution facilities, natural gas and oil production and transportation facilities, and other facilities; effect on NextEra Energy of a lack of growth, slower growth or a decline in the number of customers or in customer usage; impact on NextEra Energy of severe weather and other weather conditions; threats of terrorism and catastrophic events that could result from geopolitical factors, terrorism, cyberattacks or other attempts to disrupt NextEra Energy's business or the businesses of third parties; inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage for protection of NextEra Energy against significant losses and risk that insurance coverage does not provide protection against all significant losses; a prolonged period of low natural gas and oil prices, disrupted production or unsuccessful drilling efforts could impact NextEra Energy's natural gas and oil production and transportation operations and cause NextEra Energy to delay or cancel certain natural gas and oil production projects and could result in certain assets becoming impaired; risk of increased operating costs resulting from unfavorable supply costs necessary to provide full energy and capacity requirements services; inability or failure to manage properly or hedge effectively the commodity risk within its portfolio; effect of reductions in the liquidity of energy markets on NextEra Energy's ability to manage operational risks; effectiveness of NextEra Energy's risk management tools associated with its hedging and trading procedures to protect against significant losses, including the effect of unforeseen price variances from historical behavior; impact of unavailability or disruption of power transmission or commodity transportation operations on sale and delivery of power or natural gas; exposure of NextEra Energy to credit and performance risk from customers, hedging counterparties and vendors; failure of counterparties to perform under derivative contracts or of requirement for NextEra Energy to post margin cash collateral under derivative contracts; failure or breach of NextEra Energy's information technology systems; risks to NextEra Energy's retail businesses from compromise of sensitive customer data; losses from volatility in the market values of derivative instruments and limited liquidity in over-the-counter markets; impact of negative publicity; inability to maintain, negotiate or renegotiate acceptable franchise agreements; occurrence of work strikes or stoppages and increasing personnel costs; NextEra Energy's ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions, including the effect of increased competition for acquisitions; environmental, health and financial risks associated with ownership and operation of nuclear generation facilities; liability of NextEra Energy for significant retrospective assessments and/or retrospective insurance premiums in the event of an incident at certain nuclear generation facilities; increased operating and capital expenditures and/or reduced revenues at nuclear generation facilities resulting from orders or new regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; inability to operate any of NextEra Energy's owned nuclear generation units through the end of their respective operating licenses or planned license extensions; effect of disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit and capital markets or actions by third parties in connection with project-specific or other financing arrangements on NextEra Energy's ability to fund its liquidity and capital needs and meet its growth objectives; defaults or noncompliance related to project-specific, limited-recourse financing agreements; inability to maintain current credit ratings; impairment of liquidity from inability of credit providers to fund their credit commitments or to maintain their current credit ratings; poor market performance and other economic factors that could affect NextEra Energy's defined benefit pension plan's funded status; poor market performance and other risks to the asset values of nuclear decommissioning funds; changes in market value and other risks to certain of NextEra Energy's assets and investments; effect of inability of NextEra Energy subsidiaries to pay upstream dividends or repay funds to NextEra Energy or of NextEra Energy's performance under guarantees of subsidiary obligations on NextEra Energy's ability to meet its financial obligations and to pay dividends on its common stock; the fact that the amount and timing of dividends payable on NextEra Energy's common stock, as well as the dividend policy approved by NextEra Energy's board of directors from time to time, and changes to that policy, are within the sole discretion of NextEra Energy's board of directors and, if declared and paid, dividends may be in amounts that are less than might be expected by shareholders; XPLR Infrastructure, LP's inability to access sources of capital on commercially reasonable terms could have an effect on its ability to consummate future acquisitions and on the value of NextEra Energy's limited partner interest in XPLR Operating Partners, LP; effects of disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit and capital markets on the market price of NextEra Energy's common stock; and the ultimate severity and duration of public health crises, epidemics and pandemics, and its effects on NextEra Energy's business. NextEra Energy discusses these and other risks and uncertainties in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and other Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and this news release should be read in conjunction with such SEC filings. The forward-looking statements made in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and NextEra Energy undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
