DeSantis signs laws slashing climate agenda directives, targeting adversary investments
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed three bills on Wednesday combatting the climate agenda pushed by “green energy zealots.”
The slew of legislation slashes climate agenda directives in Florida’s energy policy, places a greater emphasis on nuclear energy and focusing on cost efficiency for Floridians, bans state holdings for Chinese Communist Party-linked companies, and bars state investments into companies that utilize “forced labor.”
“The legislation I signed today [will] keep windmills off our beaches, gas in our tanks, and China out of our state,” the governor said. “We’re restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots.”
“Furthermore, we’re going to ensure foreign adversaries like China have no foothold in our state,” he said.
HB 1645 – Energy Resources
The legislation updates various aspects of Florida’s energy policy and how different state departments are to implement their own policies surrounding it.
The proposal rescinds a phrase directing the state to address “the potential of global climate change.”
The bill also requires the state to study and evaluate the potential technical and economic advantages of using nuclear power technologies.
It also prohibits the expansion of certain green energy infrastructure in Florida, including offshore wind energy facilities and certain wind turbines.
Some of the bureaucratic revisions include requiring the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to be consistent with the state’s energy policy goals and priorities.
It additionally requires rural electric utilities to have at least one mutual aid agreement with another electric utility for purposes of restoring power after a natural disaster.
The legislation also encourages the expansion of natural gas resources throughout the state.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka and Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa.
HB 7071 – Foreign Investments by the State Board of Administration
The bill prevents the State Board Administration from accepting direct holding of Chinese companies on behalf of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund.
Additionally, the administration must initiate a review of all current direct holdings to determine which, if any, include securities of a Chinese company.
According to the bill analysis, the retirement system’s exposure to Chinese companies is estimated around $227 million, or 0.16% of the trust fund.
Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, sponsored the legislation.
HB 1331 – Commodities Produced by Forced Labor
The legislation prohibits state agencies from contracting with companies for commodities produced by forced labor.
The bill requires the Department of Management Services to create and maintain a forced labor vendor list of companies that have been disqualified from public contracting for 365 days and to publish an updated version of the list on a quarterly basis.
It was sponsored by Rep. Bradford Yeager, R-New Port Richey.
