'Pitchfork Protest' across from Duke Energy headquarters St. Petersburg, Florida 10/29
In the sunshine state residents have had to turn to pitchforks to demand a sustainable energy future. In St. Petersburg, Florida yesterday crowds turned out to protest Duke energy's obstruction to solar energy and for charging customers for a nuclear energy plant which will not be built. This is what happens when a state is in total republican control; there is non- existent utility regulation and the utility monopolies do whatever helps their bottom line regardless of the impact on the states environment. When you're a monopoly you don't have to listen to your customers because they have nowhere else to go.
WTSP.com
Duke has been at the center of nasty ad campaigns this season. Candidates, accusing each other of passing laws that let the energy giant charge customers for nuclear facilities that were broken or never built.
With Just days to go before the election, the timing, was clearly political. The election they say, is about who will appoint regulators to Florida's powerful Public Service Commission which regulates utilities.
"And whether we're going to have to watch dogs looking out over the utilities or whether we're going to have meek lapdogs that let utilities like Duke Energy rip off the ratepayers," said Darden Rice, a St. Petersburg City Commissioner.
The consequences for this election could not be greater. With both Rick Scott and Charlie Crist having a record as Florida governor, it's easy to compare how their policies would impact Florida's environment; which is the state at greatest risk from rising seas due to climate change.
Rick Scott has been an obstruction to clean energy in Florida, and in fact, his campaign is being financed by those who will profit by keeping the energy status quo, including Duke Energy,which has given Scott's campaign 1.2 million dollars !. Whereas Charlie Crist had a strong pro-environmental record as governor and has a strong plan (pdf) to protect Florida's environment should he be elected.
Support Charlie Crist for Florida governor here!