If rate hike is approved, over 5.3 million Florida families will see $360+ added to bills over two years

NEWS RELEASE

Florida – The Florida Public Service Commission will begin hearing arguments today during the technical hearings for Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) near-$10 billion rate case. Hearings were to begin in August, but were postponed following a last-minute settlement proposal between FPL and corporate and large-scale energy user customers.

“Florida Power & Light’s astronomical rate hike request is nothing short of a betrayal of the customers they claim to represent,” said Brooke Ward, Senior Florida Organizer for Food & Water Watch. “While everyday Floridians brace for higher bills, FPL is cutting backroom deals with special interests — out of sight, out of mind. DeSantis’ utility regulators who are supposed to be watchdogs for the public have instead become lapdogs for Florida utilities, rubber-stamping deals that hurt ratepayers. The timing is no accident: as the legislature gavels in today, it is clear our elected leaders must step up and protect Floridians from this assault on affordable energy. Floridians deserve transparency, fairness, and an energy system that serves them — not corporate profits.”

Over the next two weeks, the PSC will hear evidence before deciding whether to approve FPL’s rate hike. A final decision is expected later this year.

Florida Rising Deputy Campaigns Director MacKenzie Marcelin said, “At customer service hearings, through public comments submitted in the docket, and at community events, the average FPL residential customer has made it abundantly clear that they do not want to see their electricity bills increase. The following two weeks will reveal whether the Public Service Commission is truly listening to the voices of residential consumers or whether the noise from special interest groups, such as FPL, Publix, and Walmart, will drown out the voices of the masses. In a time when health insurance costs are rising, food prices are increasing, and people are struggling to pay rent, the Public Service Commission must meet the moment and listen to the voices of the public and reject the deal that only increases profit for the 1% and instead choose the better deal that is fair and just for all of us.”

Earthjustice Attorney Bradley Marshall — representing Florida Rising, League of United Latin American Citizens of Florida, and Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida in the rate case — said, “We look forward to proving over the next two weeks that FPL’s rate request increase is excessive and will disproportionately burden Florida’s hard-working families and small businesses.”

“FPL’s proposed increase will make it even harder for working families to keep the lights on. Last year, FPL shut off power to over 1 million households for nonpayment. These families were left in the dark while FPL raked in profits for their shareholders,” said Catalyst Miami Climate Justice Program Manager Maria Claudia Schubert-Fontes. “Under their current proposal, 50 cents of every dollar FPL collects from customers goes to their shareholders’ pockets and paying taxes—not servicing their customers! We need the Public Service Commission to ensure fair rates for Florida families.”

CLEO Institute CEO Yoca Arditi-Rocha said, “Regulators are supposed to protect Floridians, not rubber-stamp utility wish lists. At a time when affordability fears are being felt across party lines, stretched by the cost of living, we can’t afford another huge rate increase.  FPL’s hike puts profit over people and regulators must protect all Floridians.”

“Florida families are already struggling with skyrocketing costs for housing, food, and insurance. The last thing they can afford is yet another hike in their utility bills. Any increase would deepen the burden on households already making impossible choices each month,” said ReThink Energy Florida Co-Executive Director Kim Ross. “Floridians deserve utility regulators who put people first, prioritizing affordability and reliability over corporate profits. The Public Service Commission must act as a watchdog for the public it serves.”

Florida Student Power Climate Justice Organizer Alyssa White said, “FPL does not represent us. Young people and families across Florida are already struggling to keep up with rising costs, and these rate hikes will make it even harder to make ends meet. Our communities have shared their voices, yet decisions continue to prioritize corporate profits over the people who live here. Regulators have the opportunity and responsibility to put families and young people first, to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to thrive without being burdened by skyrocketing utility bills.”

Rejection comes after FPL settled with corporate and large-scale energy users, shifting financial burden onto residential and small business customers

NEWS RELEASE

Florida — Today, Florida Power & Light (FPL) rejected joining a settlement brought forth by the Office of Public Counsel (OPC), Floridians Against Increased Rates, and EarthJustice — representing Florida Rising and League of Latin American Citizens. The proposal outlines slashing FPL’s rate request nearly in half and lowers the return on equity (ROE) below the current level.

Even with the parties’ proposed settlement, this would have continued to be the largest rate hike in United States history at over $5 billion, and FPL would have continued having the highest ROE in the U.S., seconded by Tampa Electric. FPL settled with corporate and large-scale energy users for $7 billion.

“It’s not right that FPL gets to call the shots and dictate how much of their paychecks Florida families fork over each month. Families are struggling to make ends meet, in part because corporations like FPL prioritize their profits at our expense,” said Brooke Ward, Senior Florida Organizer with Food & Water Watch. “Even when FPL can come out ahead, they still want more. We need our elected officials to stand up and demand the Public Service Commission protect Florida ratepayers and prevent these egregious rate hikes from taking more and more of our hard earned dollars.”

The filing comes after the Public Service Commission (PSC) postponed weeks of contentious testimony that was set to begin on August 11. FPL argued that the pause was necessary since witnesses were protected by non-disclosure agreement regarding the corporate settlement. OPC and residential customer advocates were excluded from the previous settlement, prompting today’s offer, rejected by the utility.

“Today, consumer and environmental justice advocates put forward a fair settlement that cut FPL’s rate request nearly in half and lowered their profit margins—while still granting them the largest rate hike in U.S. history and one of the highest returns in the nation. This was a good-faith effort to balance fairness for Florida families with FPL’s demands,” states Mary Gutierrez, scientist and Director with Earth Ethics. “Yet, FPL rejected it—not because it wasn’t enough, but because they want even more. That rejection shows exactly where their priorities lie, and it isn’t with the people of Florida.”

“FPL’s unwillingness to compromise on a $5 billion dollar rate hike — which would still be the largest rate hike in US history — is yet another example of FPL prioritizing profit over people. All eyes should be on the PSC to stand up to monopolies and to protect average Floridians that want access to affordable, clean, and reliable energy,” said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, CEO of The CLEO Institute. “If the PSC continues to rubber stamp bad deals for consumers, then lawmakers owe it to their constituents to right this wrong and reform the PSC process.”

“Florida families and small business owners make up the overwhelming majority of FPL’s customers—we keep their business running. And yet, FPL has refused to come to the table with the intervening parties who represent us. Just last week, FPL filed its settlement agreement prioritizing corporate customer interests while excluding residential customer advocates from negotiations,” said Maria Claudia Schubert-Fontes, Climate Justice Program Manager, Catalyst Miami. “Our state has the highest property insurance rates in the country, plus some of the highest rents and lowest wages—we can’t afford higher utilities too. We’re tired of FPL giving us “energy saving tips” while they charge us more to benefit their shareholders.”

Technical hearings were postponed at 11th hour after utility & other corporate clients reached a settlement, likely to additionally raise residential electricity bills

NEWS RELEASE

FL  – On Monday afternoon, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) indefinitely postponed Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) nearly $10 billion rate case. Two weeks of expert testimony was set to begin on Monday afternoon, but FPL argued that their witnesses are now protected by non-disclosure, given the company’s newly announced settlement with corporate customers. The Office of Public Counsel and residential customer advocates were excluded from the settlement. 

The Office of Public Counsel, who opposed the postponement, has argued that FPL is overcharging residential customers. Advocates were looking forward to hearings as an opportunity for cross examination and further discovery. 

“Florida families deserve transparency, not backroom deals,” said Brooke Ward, Senior Florida Organizer for Food & Water Watch. “The Public Service Commission must reject any attempt to skip a full public hearing or deny a full and fair review of the original request. This is not a compromise — it’s massive corporations cutting corners to avoid scrutiny and keep customers in the dark. Limiting transparency only protects profits, not people. We’re calling for due process, full hearings on the merits, and real protection for residential customers.”

Without due process and a full hearing, advocates argue the deal brokered between industrial, corporate customers and the utility could mean higher bills for everyday Floridians. The Public Service Commission will be issuing a new schedule once the settlement agreement is filed.

“FPL has struck a settlement with intervening parties who largely represent commercial customers, such as AI data centers, industrial users, and fuel retailers. However, the PSC’s decision to grant FPL a suspension disregards the residential customers’ right to due process,” said Maria Claudia Schubert-Fontes, Climate Justice Program Manager, Catalyst Miami. “Florida residential customers make up 93% of FPL’s total customer base. At a time when the average Floridian is struggling to afford their basic needs and communities throughout the state are experiencing extreme heat advisories that hike up their light bill, residential customer interests should not come secondary to the interests of large commercial companies.”

“Are you kidding me?” asks Mary Gutierrez, Director of Earth Ethics, Inc. and environmental scientist. “This settlement doesn’t just feel unfair—it is disproportionately harmful to residential customers. Between subsidizing large businesses, minimal rate relief, and opaque decision-making, those least able to absorb higher bills are being asked to carry the load. Enough already. Enough with the greed of large organizations, enough with the groups charged with protecting the public not doing their job.”

“The PSC’s decision to halt public hearings on FPL’s rate hike is troubling because rate-setting should be transparent and public, not shaped by backroom deals with Florida’s largest corporate powers. If the PSC signs off on anything close to the nearly $10 billion in requested rate hikes, Floridians will be saddled with higher bills while FPL keeps burning climate-warming methane gas, raking in record profits, and locking Floridians into decades of costly electricity. This is a textbook case of profit over people,” said Raymer Maguire, Director of Campaigns and Policy at The CLEO Institute.

If approved, customers could see $360 more added to bills over two years

Florida – Tuesday afternoon, consumer advocates, legal experts, and Congressional Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) held a press conference that highlighted the national and statewide implications of Florida Power & Light’s near-$10 billion rate hike proposal. If approved, this would be the largest utility rate hike in U.S. history. 

Advocates and experts are calling on the Public Service Commission to ensure fair, just, and reasonable rates for customers. Earlier this summer, the Florida Office of Public Counsel provided expert testimony that FPL should decrease rates by $620.5 million in 2026 instead of increasing  rates by $1.545 billion during the same period. 

Four years ago, the PSC approved FPL’s nearly $5 billion rate hike. Since then, customer bills have skyrocketed by an average of $400 in annual costs over the last four years. Advocates speaking on behalf of customers in the Panhandle and South Florida highlighted the financial burden this rate increase would have on families. 47% of Floridians already can’t afford the cost of living and are struggling to pay for utilities. During the press conference, Attorney Bradley Marshall shared that from March 2024 to February 2025, FPL shut off 1.216 M residential customers for non-payment — about a fifth of all their residential customers. 

“Florida’s energy affordability crisis should be a wake up call to those around the country. Corporate utilities in multiple states have been asking for record-setting rate hikes and won’t stop unless our legislators take action,” said Brooke Ward, Senior Florida Organizer with Food & Water Watch. “Families are suffering under the crushing weight of continually rising utility bills. Floridians need our elected officials and regulators to stand up and put people over profit. We need action toward an affordable and clean energy future now.”

“Floridians need relief from skyrocketing electric bills, but too often utility companies and politicians secretly act to make energy more expensive and boost shareholder profits rather than serve the public,” said U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (FL-14). “Ratepayers should not fund utility lobbying and political campaigns that disadvantage working families and small businesses. My Ethics in Energy Act will help protect consumers and ensure utilities like Florida Power and Light are using ratepayer dollars responsibly – not for lobbying for their own profit. I am grateful to my many partners across the country who are leading the way to expand cleaner, cheaper energy and protect our people, planet, and pocketbooks.”

“Floridians are already stretched thin with spiraling housing, insurance costs, and now FPL – the largest utility in Florida – wants the biggest rate increase in American history. Families shouldn’t have to choose between paying their power bill and putting food on the table,” said Susan Glickman, VP of Policy & Partnerships for The CLEO Institute. “We call on the PSC to protect the public interest, not corporate profits. FPL executives are making record salaries while Floridians have to cut back on A/C during record heat.”

“The proposed rate hike places an unnecessary economic burden on already struggling families, forcing many to choose between keeping the lights on and meeting basic needs like food, medicine, and housing,: states Mary Gutierrez, Director and Environmental Scientist at Earth Ethics, while Florida Power & Light rakes in record profits, our communities are left to shoulder the cost—this is not energy justice, it’s corporate greed.”

“Florida communities deserve a utility company that works for the people, not one that exploits them,” said Alyssa White, Climate Justice Organizer with Florida Student Power Network. “This proposed rate hike from FPL is not about necessity; it’s about greed. While everyday Floridians struggle with housing, food, and education costs, FPL is racking up profits and sidelining its responsibility to the public. We need energy justice now, not higher bills.”

“We need housing—they raise the rent. We need electricity—and monopoly companies like FPL raise rates again and again. It’s happening right in front of us—we see it, but we don’t always recognize it as the privatization of public goods. This isn’t just unfair—it’s a system that thrives by putting profit over people,” states Christopher Arriaza, Co-Chair of the Power U Environmental Justice Committee. “But Florida can lead. We can set the standard for utility justice. We can push back against corporate greed—but only if we come together and demand that those elected, and those appointed—like the Public Service Commission—serve us and act in the interest of the people.”

“Florida is in dire need of a Public Service Commission that will look after them, and not corporations that are only looking out for their profits,” said Katina Rentas Negrón, Climate Justice Campaigner at Florida Rising. “If approved, the proposed rate hike would further increase the cost of living for our low-income, Black, and Brown communities that are already struggling to make ends meet due to climate change, housing affordability, health, and insurance costs. Floridians deserve energy justice, and not more corporate greed.” 

“Florida Power & Light’s proposed rate hike would hit older Floridians hardest, especially those on fixed incomes who are already stretched thin,” said Zayne Smith, Senior Advisor of Advocacy at AARP Florida. “Rising electric bills mean difficult choices like skipping meals or medication just to stay cool. These costs strain household budgets and ripple through the economy as older residents cut back on essentials and small businesses feel the squeeze. Regulators must protect Florida’s most vulnerable and prioritize customer interests over corporate profits.”

“Hardworking Floridians have not seen changes in their wages, yet the cost of living has steadily increased. While our communities struggle to make ends meet on the same income, they also face more frequent heat waves and cold fronts, leading to skyrocketing electric utility bills,” said Maria Claudia Schubert Fontes, Climate Justice Manager for Catalyst Miami. “FPL’s latest rate request would generate 50 cents of profit for every dollar at a time when the company has already shut off more than a million residential customers due to nonpayment. This increase will undoubtedly leave more residential customers in the dark.”

Press Contact: Grace DeLallo [email protected]

By Laurie Mazur, originally published by Resilience.org

In these tumultuous times, “resilience” has become something of a buzzword. It is the subject of scholarly books and self-help podcasts; of government programs and many, many conferences. But what does resilience mean, exactly? And can it help us survive and thrive in the era of climate change?

A decade ago, Island Press set out to answer those questions. As a nonprofit environmental publisher, Island Press has long worked to explore — and share — the best thinking on how to protect the planet and its people. So, we partnered with a diverse group of thinkers to publish articles and op-eds that envision a truly resilient future. In the pages of our new (and free!) ebook Resilience Matters: Ten Years of Transformative Thinking, you’ll find a sampling of that work.

The authors whose work is collected here include activists, academics, planners, and public officials. Each of their writings is a miniature time capsule, capturing real-time takes on the upheavals of the last decade: hurricanes and wildfires, political shifts, the global pandemic. Their articles and op-eds originally appeared in a wide array of outlets — local and national newspapers, as well as in more-specialized publications. And while their perspectives and subjects differ, their writings share several themes in common.

First, they show that resilience is not about “bouncing back” to the disastrous status quo. Today, the destabilized climate poses unparalleled risks to human health, safety, and economic well-being. And in a world of rising inequality, those risks are not equally shared: low-income communities and people of color are hit first and worst by climate change impacts. So, “bouncing back” to a status quo that increases greenhouse gases and widens inequality will only magnify human suffering.

That dark possibility is not our only option. Indeed, the need for resilience could spark positive transformations on many fronts. That’s because true resilience calls us to rethink the design of our communities and the systems that meet human needs, while rectifying the inequities that leave too many people vulnerable to disaster. This is what resilience means to us.

The good news is that these transformations are already under way. In “Flood Survivors Find Common Ground in a Divided Nation,” you will meet a conservative, home-schooling mother from Virginia who joined forces with flood victims across the U.S. through an organization called Higher Ground. Together, they are working to stop development in floodplains, promote water-absorbing “green infrastructure,” and organize home buyouts in areas that flood repeatedly.

In “Energy Democracy: People Power for a Cleaner Planet,” you can read about One Voice, an activist group in Mississippi that is fighting for cheaper, cleaner energy by restoring democratic control to the state’s rural electric cooperatives. And “Finding Climate Solutions in Communities Instead of Labs” tells the story of a community group, Catalyst Miami, that compelled its city to address extreme heat. When city officials said they lacked data, the group partnered with local universities to place heat and humidity sensors throughout the city. Now Miami has an extreme heat action plan that is saving lives — and serving as a national model.

The coming years will certainly test our collective resilience. Last year was the hottest in recorded history, and climate change is taking an ever-greater toll on our health, our economy, and the places we call home. These metastasizing impacts are now met with official denial and the rollback of climate initiatives. But even in these polarized times, people are rising to the great environmental and moral challenges before us. In the pages of Resilience Matters, they show us how to build a greener, fairer future together.

Visit islandpress.org/resilience to download your free copy today!

The Kresge Foundation's Climate Change, Health, and Equity (CCHE) is a 5-year, $30 million initiative that aims to build the capacity of health care and public health to promote equitable climate resilience practices, mobilize health care and public health practitioner engagement in climate advocacy, and strengthen community-based leadership.

As part of the CCHE network, Catalyst Miami has been working to address the intersection of extreme heat and displacement due to gentrification.

Click here to read more about this initiative in the latest case study from Kresge.

Catalyst Miami's North Miami Community Investment Cooperative work was featured in the Urban Land Institute's report on climate-prepared communities. The linked webinar here includes commentary from Ahmed Mori, Vice President of Community Economic Development of Catalyst Miami.

Report Summary: Climate change is changing conditions in communities worldwide, increasing incentives to live and work in some locations and decreasing incentives in others, causing ripple effects across global, national, and local markets. As people of all demographic groups gravitate toward areas with comparatively lower risk from climate effects (receiving communities), they will spur local economic growth and development. As a result, local governments of these receiving communities and private interests will be challenged to ensure such growth and development is inclusive and equitable and minimizes gentrification-driven displacement.

This report defines climate gentrification and describes its impacts on receiving communities. It communicates the value proposition of equitable, inclusive, and resilient development in these communities and outlines specific strategies to minimize climate gentrification–driven displacement.

Click here to download the report.

This toolkit was created by CLEAR grad, Yadira Capaz. You can find out more about her work at yadiracapaz.com and on IG as @fluxcapazitor.

Here is a template for building community and gathering resources to inspire critical climate resiliency action in preparation for hurricanes in Miami. This proposal can serve as a template you can follow to write a grant application to create your own resiliency toolkit for your community.

A gathering of community members planning their resilience strategy in a sustainable building surrounded by South Florida wilderness. Image made in collaboration with Midjourney AI.

• Part I. Research Introduction
• Part II. Template for a DIY Resiliency Toolkit
• Part III. Disaster Resilience Funding Resource Guide for Miami

This project summarizes an 18-month campaign started by the Miami Climate Alliance. Throughout a series of six workshops hosted by Catalyst Miami, Miami-Dade County staff and some of our community partners discussed best practices for public participation.

Check out the digital booklet below, or scroll down on this page to learn more and give us feedback! 

Local government can integrate the group's recommendations into policy and practice to improve engagement. It must strive to address the legacies of exclusion, while creating shared accountability and a culture of transparency. This will be particularly important while implementing Miami-Dade County's Climate Action Strategy to cut planet-warming pollution.

Watch the video below for an overview of the campaign's process and outcomes. 

All the recommendations here and in the full report relate to the main takeaway: Community leadership is essential to achieve climate justice.

When residents are given the resources and opportunities to work together on their neighborhoods’ challenges, they design more effective solutions and the process itself helps to build community power for decades to come.

There is an appetite for this approach to resilience policy- and practice-making in Miami-Dade County. Key decision-makers must do more to facilitate the community-centered processes that residents are ready and willing to propel to achieve true resilience.

Expand the sections below to learn more about each aspect of this community-determined framework. 

Leave us feedback using the form on this page!

Inform

Consult

Involve

Collaborate

Empower

Get Involved & Learn More

Please leave your feedback by using the form on this page! You can use this same form to sign up for email and text updates from Catalyst Miami.

Become a member of the Miami Climate Alliance at miamiclimatealliance.org.

Helpful Links:

• Read the full report

• Miami-Dade County’s Climate Action Strategy

• Greater Miami & the Beaches’ Resilient 305 Strategy

Contributors

Miami-Dade County Partners

James Murley, Chief Resilience Officer
Kimberly Brown, Director of Resilience Planning and Implementation
Karina Castillo, Resilience Coordinator
Galen Treur, Resilience Coordinator for Strategic Outcomes
Jane Gilbert, Chief Heat Officer

These recommendations were developed by partners with backgrounds in local government, community organizing, academic research, resilience policy, community economic development, intersectional climate justice action, public outreach and engagement. This project was supported by the Energy Justice Working Group of the Miami Climate Alliance and the American Cities Climate Challenge Justice40 Capacity Building Fund. 

In 2019, Dade Heritage Trust invited several concerned organizations and individuals, including Catalyst Miami, to a meeting to discuss the increased loss of tree canopy in our community. The turnout was overwhelming, and it was clear that some action had to be taken to demand better from our decision makers regarding tree preservation and protection policy and procedures. The directive from the group was that we needed thorough research on current tree policies and trends, and education and outreach to the community to teach about the wonderful benefits of trees. The Miami Canopy Coalition was formed.

With a clear vision of next steps, Dade Heritage Trust received a grant from the Miami Foundation and a contribution from then District 8 County Commissioner, and now Miami-Dade Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava which provided funding for in-depth research and outreach which became the basis for this report. Click here to download it.