Maxwell: FPL looks to go national, and the nation should be nervous
Last week, Florida Power and Light's parent company, NextEra, announced its desire to acquire another big player in the industry - a company called Dominion that provides electricity in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
If it's successful, NextEra Energy would become the largest power company in America.
For that reason, people in other parts of the country are suddenly taking a closer look at FPL's track record in Florida … and starting to freak out.
A piece by New York Times - "How an Ambitious Energy Giant Wielded Political Power in Florida" - warned that the company has employed hardball tactics and been linked to scandal. And the watchdog Energy and Policy Institute concluded: "FPL wields its political influence to advance its interests."
Yeah, no kidding. Welcome to our world.
For years, the Orlando Sentinel and other Florida newspapers have documented the outsized influence FPL has in Florida politics. This is a company willing to spend big, play rough and grease the skids to advance its agenda.
FPL has been linked to one of the biggest election scandals in recent years - a "ghost candidate" scheme where multiple people, including a former state senator, were ultimately convicted.
And FPL was caught literally trying to rewrite state laws to kneecap the solar industry - and then went after journalists who exposed the company's tactics.
So, for those who weren't paying attention then or who just want to learn more now, here's a recap.
Targeting solar
Four years ago, when solar power was gaining popularity in the Sunshine State, FPL was getting nervous. So a lobbyist for the company wrote a bill meant to decrease financial benefits for citizens who put solar panels on their homes.
Normally, you might think: Who cares what a power company wants?
Well, Florida legislators did. After the lobbyist gave a bill draft to a Republican senator - along with a $10,000 campaign check - the puppet politician filed it, and her GOP peers dutifully passed it.
This bill was so blatantly bad for consumers (even by Florida standards) that Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed it.
Florida utilities team up with legislators to target solar customers | Commentary
Targeting journalists
After the Miami Herald exposed FPL's anti-solar scheme, a website called "The Capitolist" began mocking one of the reporters who wrote the piece and also the Herald in general. The site also went after me and iconic Florida writer Carl Hiaasen after both of us were critical of the company.
The attacks seemed odd. (Most sites that practice real journalism like it when journalists stand up for consumers and reveal hidden truths.) But things became clearer after an investigation revealed that this so-called "news" site had been partially funded and controlled by operatives for FPL.
Still, those penny-ante online attacks were nothing compared to the real-world intimidation endured by a columnist for The Florida Times Union who'd also been critical of FPL. That columnist, Nate Monroe, was actually tailed by a private investigator, even when he went out of the state on vacation.
Leaked text messages from consultants hired by FPL suggested that the folks following Nate were hoping to catch the journalist doing something wrong and were sorely disappointed when he didn't do so.
Attack the messenger: FPL consultants spy on newspaper columnist. | Commentary
The ghost candidates
Then there's the now-infamous "ghost candidate" scandal in which operatives working closely with FPL helped get industry-friendly Republicans elected to the Florida Senate.
The 2020 scheme involved recruiting third-party candidates who were promoted as left-leaning independents. The recruited candidates weren't really trying to win. They didn't even campaign. The goal was simply to trick and confuse voters, so that the the legitimate Democratic candidates would get fewer votes.
Now, deception in politics isn't illegal. But hiding campaign cash and payments is. And five people were either convicted or pleaded to crimes in the schemes deigned to help Central Florida's Jason Brodeur and South Florida's Ileana Garcia and Ana Maria Rodriguez get into office.
FPL, which had consultants linked to the scheme, says it did nothing wrong. But the company's CEO resigned after the ploy was exposed. Investors also sued the company, claiming the scandal hurt the company's reputation and value. FPL is reportedly still trying to settle the lawsuit.
Amid convictions in ghost candidate scandal, senators who benefited remain in office | Scott Maxwell
The bottom line
While all of the messes above were going on, rates for customers in Florida went up - including a record-setting $6.9 billion hike last year that the state's own public counsel labeled "unconscionable."
And make no mistake: NextEra and FPL are making down payments on the next generation of politicians. The company has already dumped $500,000 into a committee backing Byron Donalds, the Republican who wants to succeed DeSantis as Florida's governor. And the company has a familiar face in the White House. Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, worked as a consultant for FPL in the past.
For its part, FPL has long said it plays by the rules and offers customers reliable service at rates that are often better than other companies provide.
But some industry watchers have predicted rates will rise for customers up north if NextEra gets its way. And when combined with all the company's well-documented political machinations, David Pomerantz, the executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute, told the Times: "NextEra's playbook and history in Florida should make Virginians and South Carolinians terrified of this merger."
Pull the plug on this power mega-monopoly | Editorial
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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 5:47 PM.