The Florida Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that ballot initiative language that would allow electricity consumers to choose their energy and service providers was misleading. The decision means that Florida voters will not have an opportunity in November to gain their energy freedom.
The group behind the initiative, Citizens for Energy Choice, has been working for two years to bring retail energy choice to Florida consumers, against the staunch opposition of the incumbent utility monopolies NextEra Energy Inc. and Duke Energy Corp.
“The Florida decision is disappointing,” said Robert Dillon, executive director of the Energy Choice Coalition in Washington, D.C. “Energy freedom is a pretty easy concept for voters to grasp. Either you can purchase energy from an open market, or you have to take what the monopoly utility gives you. Obviously, Florida voters don’t get the opportunity to decide that for themselves right now. Energy choice will be back on the table in Florida soon enough, though. Competition in electricity markets is gaining momentum across the country because it gives consumers what they want – cleaner energy options, lower utility bills, and greater control over their energy use data. The monopoly system is a dinosaur that just doesn’t know its days are numbered yet.”
Read full court ruling here.