At the start of the year, a city councilman in Tampa, Florida crafted a resolution for 100% clean energy by 2030.
The resolution was non-binding and quite common. Nearly 200 cities around America have vowed to get 100% of their electricity from zero-carbon resources.
But it also included language that would set off a political chain reaction in the state: an aspiration to phase out fossil fuels.
It scared the local gas and power utility, Tampa Electric, which used its lobbying power and money to launch a more aggressive counter-strike. And it spawned new Republican legislation that will restrict what cities can do about climate change.
This week: what Florida tells us about the new front in the conflict over climate policy across America.
Guest: Grist Reporter Emily Pontecorvo, who co-authored a story about the gas industry’s influence on Florida’s new laws.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
The Carbon Copy is brought to you by Oracle. Oracle unlocks the energy of everyone. With the most comprehensive technology solutions and a deep understanding of human behavior, Oracle is putting people at the center of the energy transition. Learn more about Oracle’s vision of making the distributed, people-centered grid a reality:
go.oracle.com/energyofeveryone.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices