Attorney general opposes ballot proposal that rewires Florida’s electricity industry

In a filing to the state Supreme Court late Friday, the state attorney general’s office said it opposes the petition-driven ballot initiative that would reform how consumers purchase electricity in Florida.

Although it sells itself as a pro-consumer choice measure, Moody wrote that the amendment’s “undisclosed chief purpose” is actually the opposite.

“The title and this statement give the misleading impression that investor-owned utilities would still be able to sell electricity to customers, competing with additional, new providers,” Moody wrote. “But the actual text of the amendment forbids such activity.”

In a statement, Moody elaborated on why she thought the amendment would hurt consumers.

“States that have adopted similar policies to this amendment have caused irreparable damage to their citizens,” Moody’s spokeswoman Lauren Schenone said. “In California, this led to blackouts and the collapse of its largest electric company. In Illinois and Massachusetts, their attorney generals have called for the end of this experiment because of the raised rates and deceptive marketing practices harming their citizens.”

Schenone added, “Given how many Floridians live on a fixed income, especially seniors, the Attorney General does not believe that we can risk unpredictable, likely higher electricity prices and questionable marketing tactics.”

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