Gov. Ron DeSantis put a final signature on HB 1645 on Wednesday, a move that steers Florida away from prioritizing climate change and clamps down on the use of wind turbines off the state's coast. The legislation which sprouts into effect come July 1, aims to increase natural gas usage, dial back on gas pipeline regulation, and shield residents from prohibitions on gas appliances, NBC Miami reported. Critics hammer the bill for neglecting Florida's vulnerability to climate threats, as sea levels, heat extremes, and storms intensify.
While DeSantis pulled back his presidential campaign in January and has since thrown his support behind Donald Trump, “We're restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting, the agenda of the radical green zealots,” the governor posted on X social media platform. Florida relies heavily on natural gas for its electricity, with the figure standing at 74% according to NBC Miami. The opposition to the bill lodges complaints about the removal of the word "climate" in multiple sections of state law and decries a shift away from energy efficiency and cutting down greenhouse gases.
Yoca Arditi-Rocha of the nonprofit Cleo Institute told NBC Miami, “This purposeful act of cognitive dissonance is proof that the governor and state Legislature are not acting in the best interests of Floridians, but rather to protect profits for the fossil fuel industry.” The legislation also axes green hotel requirements for government meetings and the prioritization of fuel efficiency in agency vehicle procurement. It deletes an obligation for state bodies to consider "climate-friendly" procurements, signaling a stark departure from previous commitments to address climate change under the governance of Charlie Crist and later, Rick Scott.
Despite backing away from clean energy mandates, the law signed by DeSantis does contemplate alternatives like small nuclear reactor technology, allocations for hydrogen-fueled vehicles, and steps to bolster the state's electrical grid security, his office communicated. In a social media post dated May 16, Gov. DeSantis touted that Florida is rejecting the left's approach to weaken the energy grid and climate policies that apparently benefit foreign foes, according to a post from X account of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida rejects the designs of the left to weaken our energy grid, pursue a radical climate agenda, and promote foreign adversaries. pic.twitter.com/Drydhd7XcH
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 15, 2024
