AGP Executive Report

Coal Push: President Trump announced nearly $700M to support coal-fired power plants and coal exports, using Cold War-era defense authorities to extend plant lives and back new builds. Municipal Power Fight: St. Petersburg City Council approved up to $590,000 for a feasibility study on leaving Duke Energy and exploring a city-owned utility, with no final decision yet as the Duke franchise nears its August expiration. Utility Rate Courtroom: Florida’s Supreme Court upheld a gas utility rate hike, backing the accounting methods used by the regulator. Renewables Financing: Miami-based Origis Energy secured $75M in financing for a diversified portfolio of solar and energy storage projects, expanding across multiple grid regions. Summer Grid Stress: LCEC highlighted how extreme heat drives higher electricity use, offering practical A/C and thermostat tips to cut cooling costs. Cuba Sanctions With Energy Impacts: New U.S. sanctions freeze assets tied to Cuba’s government and add pressure amid shortages of fuel and other essentials, drawing condemnation from Florida’s Green Party. Local Energy Costs & Housing: A builder warned Florida’s energy and building code requirements are raising construction costs and slowing permitting, squeezing housing affordability.

Florida Utility Courtroom Win: The Florida Supreme Court upheld Florida City Gas rate hikes for about 123,000 customers, backing the Public Service Commission’s use of a reserve surplus amortization mechanism to manage inflation and interest-rate swings. Fuel Prices Watch: GasBuddy data show some relief in parts of Florida, with the lowest regular prices hitting $3.89 in Palm Beach County (week ending May 30) and $3.66 in Miami-Dade County, while the statewide regular average sat around $4.19. AI Power Demand Backlash: A new poll finds Americans are among the least supportive of building new AI data centers, adding to Florida’s ongoing debate over power-hungry facilities. Hurricane Prep, Energy Angle: Florida Power & Light urged residents to keep gas tanks at least half-full and maintain EV charge between 50% and 80% ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season. Space & Energy Industry Signals: Blue Origin’s New Glenn booster recovery was a partial win, but a satellite delivery miss led to FAA grounding—another reminder of how launch reliability can ripple through energy-adjacent tech timelines.

Property Tax Fight: Florida lawmakers advanced a proposed November ballot measure to abolish property taxes for most primary homeowners, but St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch warned it could strip $78M from the city and force major cuts if it passes. Consumer Pressure: A University of Florida survey found Florida consumer sentiment slid in May, with worries tied to rising gas prices and a tick up in unemployment. Grid Reliability in Florida: Duke Energy crews are upgrading downtown St. Petersburg’s underground power network to improve storm resilience and reduce outages. Data Center Backlash: Erin Brockovich launched a platform tracking U.S. data center plans, spotlighting concerns about water and energy use as Florida and the federal government tighten scrutiny of AI buildouts. Energy & Markets Watch: SpaceX filed for an IPO targeting about a $1.77T valuation, underscoring how capital markets are still fueling big energy-and-tech ambitions. Florida Gas Context: Reports note gas price relief could be short-lived as regional tax and market pressures keep drivers on edge.

Fuel Contamination Fallout: A Punta Gorda-area investigation ties a contaminated fuel distribution failure to engine damage at multiple Florida Circle K stations, with state regulators validating fresh samples while drivers say they’re still stuck with major losses. Hurricane Readiness: Florida State Parks Foundation added another strike team trailer, aiming for at least one in each of the state’s five regions as the Atlantic hurricane season begins. Mosquito Control Push: Google is seeking federal approval to release up to 32 million male mosquitoes in California and Florida as part of its “Debug” plan to curb disease-carrying populations. Local Cost Pressure: Gas prices are easing in Florida, but local governments warn fuel-linked contract escalation could still raise costs for services like waste collection. Power & Policy: TVA’s board faces potential quorum trouble as terms expire for directors including Art Graham of Florida, raising questions about governance continuity. Consumer Safety Lawsuit: A Florida mother filed a federal suit against Campbell’s and Walmart alleging worms or parasite-like contamination in SpaghettiOs made her and her child sick. Energy Tech & Jobs: PowerSouth Energy Cooperative is expanding the Lowman Energy Center with an additional advanced-class gas turbine from Mitsubishi Power. Community & Climate: Scientists say the most extreme climate “doomsday” scenario is now considered implausible, shifting how risk is modeled.

Consumer Watch: A University of Florida survey says Floridians’ confidence slid again in May, with inflation and rising fuel costs tied to the Iran-related Strait of Hormuz disruption. Energy Prices & Policy: A fresh column argues for suspending the gas tax to ease pump pain, while noting the federal gas tax funds roads and bridges. Hurricane Readiness: The Personal Insurance Federation of Florida launched FloodReadyFlorida.com to push flood prep beyond coastal storm surge, warning inland flooding can be deadly. Space & Launch Industry: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station says Blue Origin’s New Glenn explosion sparked wildfires and damaged non-critical areas; officials say the company expects to fly again later this year. Aviation Market Shift: After Spirit Airlines’ shutdown, other carriers are adding capacity, but the reshuffle is expected to keep average fares higher and leave some smaller airports with fewer options. Tech & Environment: Google is seeking EPA approval to release millions of sterile, non-biting mosquitoes in Florida and California as part of its “Debug” pest-control plan. Global Climate Costs: Bloomberg Intelligence projects extreme weather could drive $20T+ in spending over the next decade, benefiting climate adaptation and energy-efficiency businesses.

Property Tax Fight: Florida lawmakers voted to put a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that could eliminate non-school property taxes, but critics warn local governments could lose billions without clear numbers on downstream impacts. AI & Power Demand: Erin Brockovich launched an interactive map tracking AI data centers, flagging Florida sites and pushing residents to report concerns over energy use, water demand, noise, and transparency. Local Grid Costs: St. Pete Beach ended a long-running utility undergrounding project as costs mounted, leaving some poles and wires above ground and risking saltwater storm impacts. Data Center Pushback: In Jackson County’s 2nd District race, residents and candidates are clashing over proposed AI data centers’ heavy water use and strain on the aquifer. Fuel & Affordability: A DNC list highlights gas prices staying above $3 in many states since the Iran conflict began, underscoring pressure on Florida drivers heading into summer. EV/Storage Business Moves: SPATCO expanded its Florida-facing environmental services with acquisitions aimed at fueling infrastructure compliance and tank maintenance. Space Coast Watch: Space Force updated on the Blue Origin New Glenn explosion off Florida’s coast, saying personnel were accounted for and crews worked to restore safety control before future launches.

AI & Consumer Safety: Florida sued OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT poses risks to children and that the company downplayed internal safety warnings while marketing the chatbot as safe. Energy & Supply Chains: With Iran war disrupting global flows, the Gulf Coast is emerging as an “emergency fuel hub” after Jones Act waivers let foreign-flagged ships move oil and refined products to places like Florida. Hurricane Readiness: Florida Power & Light urged residents to plan now for the 2026 hurricane season, including keeping gas tanks at least half full and building emergency kits. Local Environment: Gulf Coast beaches are seeing heavy sargassum seaweed washups, with researchers warning it could worsen through June. Florida Policy: A new Sachs Media survey finds voters back DeSantis’ property tax special session, but disagree on what should happen next. Research & Tech: Florida State and FAMU-FSU researchers helped advance a quantum computing approach using solid neon to cut qubit noise.

Florida AI policy fight: Florida became the first state to sue OpenAI over claims ChatGPT poses risks to children and wasn’t properly warning the public, escalating backlash over chatbot safety. Hurricane readiness & insurance: As 2026 hurricane season starts June 1, Florida emergency and insurance officials are sharing preparedness guidance and pointing to signs of improvement in condo insurance, while regulators and lawmakers dig into reinsurance and risk-transfer ideas. Power costs: Duke Energy Florida is cutting rates for the third time this year starting in June, tied to over-collections from 2024 storm restoration costs and approved refunds. Energy prices at the pump: Florida gas prices have been easing recently, but fuel costs remain a pressure point for households and travel. Local resilience: Riviera Beach is moving ahead with an emergency dune replacement project on Singer Island after erosion concerns, aiming to protect beachfront and turtle habitat. Public health: Florida is seeing a sharp drop in fentanyl-related overdose deaths, even as treatment demand remains high. Summer travel squeeze: Rising fuel and airfare are making summer travel one of the priciest seasons in recent memory.

Hurricane Readiness: NOAA says Florida’s 2026 hurricane season is forecast “below normal,” but FPL and Duke are still ramping up for worst-case outages, detailing how crews and restoration plans gear up before June 1. Gas Prices & Boating Costs: Florida drivers saw prices ease—down about 32 cents statewide to around $4.07—yet high fuel costs are still hitting fishing and boating budgets, with experts warning prices could jump again if Strait of Hormuz reopening doesn’t stick. Power & Storm Prep: FPL also shared practical hurricane planning tips, including keeping gas tanks at least half full and managing backup power/EV charge levels. Local Housing: Barnett Villas in Pine Hills opened with 156 affordable units already fully occupied, highlighting how local government support can speed up Florida’s housing pipeline. Critical Minerals: REalloys signed a 15-year rare earth offtake tied to Greenland’s Tanbreez project, as the U.S. pushes to diversify supply for defense needs. Mosquito Control Tech: Google is seeking approval to release up to 32 million AI-bred, Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes in Florida and California as a disease-fighting trial.

Grid & Rates: Duke Energy says it’s cutting rates for customers starting Monday, with officials projecting about $6 less per 1,000 kWh and roughly $50 less per month, after earlier storm-recovery and rate reductions this year. Solar Training: S-5! is kicking off a 14-stop “On Tour With S-5!” roadshow, launching in Florida in June, to give contractors and installers hands-on training for commercial solar mounting and rooftop attachment, with sessions also covering 2026 domestic content and FEOC guidance. Hurricane Prep Costs: Florida hurricane-season readiness is getting more expensive as inflation pushes up prices on key supplies like food, batteries, radios, rope, and tarps, with local retailers pointing to specialty items that are harder to manufacture quickly. Local Energy Infrastructure: Babcock Ranch’s Curry Commerce Center opened May 28, adding large flex/light-industrial space in a community powered by its own solar farm, while also attracting early tenants tied to services and light manufacturing. EV & Materials Buzz: A West Palm Beach-based microcap, ELEKTROS Inc., is leaning into investor interest in lithium supply chains and EV charging buildouts, citing broader market momentum around charging infrastructure and battery materials. Energy Theft: Charlotte County deputies arrested two suspects accused of stealing used cooking oil from restaurant grease traps, highlighting how rising “yellow grease” value is fueling organized theft rings.

Hurricane Preparedness: Pinellas County’s Hurricane Expo in Clearwater urged residents to map evacuation and flood zones and start planning now, with local officials pointing to 2024 rescue lessons and even fuel shortages that can follow major storms. Florida Energy Policy: A Florida opinion piece argues the state’s new rule requiring large data centers to cover their own energy costs is a good start, but warns the bigger challenge is whether grid and infrastructure can keep up with AI-driven demand. Space & Launch Industry: Blue Origin is assessing damage after its New Glenn rocket exploded during a test at Cape Canaveral, while Amazon’s Leo satellites still launched from another pad—another reminder that Florida’s spaceport economy runs on tight schedules and high risk. Oil Market Spillover: Reuters reports Guyana’s oil boom is accelerating as the Iran conflict reshapes global energy markets, boosting a Caribbean producer’s growth and revenue prospects. Local Safety Incident: A South Florida man was arrested after allegedly swinging a machete and making threats behind a Palm Springs gas station. Consumer Costs: A report on Memorial Day travel highlights how $4.50+ gas prices are pushing Americans to cut back spending. Sports (Energy-adjacent): Florida baseball advanced in the Gainesville Regional and sets up a Saturday matchup with Miami.

Florida Budget Signed: Florida lawmakers signed off on a $114.5B state budget for 2026-27, with Democrats warning it doesn’t do enough for schools, healthcare, and the environment, and Republicans saying it funds priorities while cutting overall spending. Data Center Backlash: Lakeland residents and commissioners say they were caught off guard by a proposed hyperscale data center near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkerson Road, with city leaders promising more details as review meetings move forward. Space & Energy Industry Watch: Blue Origin is assessing damage after a New Glenn rocket exploded during a test firing at Cape Canaveral, prompting public warnings about possible debris while the company faces another setback after a prior fleet grounding. Energy Policy & Shipping: A long Jones Act waiver for petroleum and fertilizer cargoes is drawing pushback from domestic shipping groups, who argue it hasn’t lowered prices and could cost U.S. jobs. Environment & Resilience: In the Dry Tortugas, researchers outplanted lab-grown “Flonduran” elkhorn corals, aiming to boost reef survival as heat stress continues to threaten Florida’s marine ecosystems. Local Power & Pollution: Jacksonville residents and advocates testified at an EPA coal ash public hearing, pressing for stronger safeguards around coal combustion residuals and nearby communities.

Budget & Tax Relief: Florida lawmakers finally passed a $114.5 billion state budget after months of overtime, with funding for schools, public safety, environmental work, and tax breaks—while Democrats criticized it for not doing enough on housing and affordability. Gas Tax Debate: A separate push for gas tax relief didn’t make it, as lawmakers instead advanced a sales tax holiday package that targets guns, fishing gear, and tennis tickets, drawing backlash from Democrats who argued drivers need pump relief. Fraud & “Green” Credits: A Fort Pierce biofuel executive, Christopher Burdett, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for selling millions in fake green energy credits. Grid & Storage: NextEra’s subsidiary is seeking approval for a $174 million battery energy storage project in South Dakota, aimed at shifting excess power to peak demand. Space Coast Watch: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a Cape Canaveral static fire test; the FAA said it wasn’t within licensed activities and SpaceX resumed nearby launches. Policy & AI Work: Pope Leo’s AI-focused encyclicals are expected to spur more religious accommodation claims tied to AI at work. Hurricane Prep: Local coverage urged Floridians to plan early for evacuation needs as the 2026 season approaches.

Property Tax Push: Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special session to advance a “Save Our Homes” plan that would exempt or sharply cut property taxes on homeowners’ permanent residences, with a possible November ballot vote. Hurricane Readiness: Cape Coral emergency officials urged residents to have at least three days of water, meds and food, know evacuation zones, and treat shelters as a last resort as the 2026 season begins. Space Coast Update: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a planned static fire test at Cape Canaveral; no injuries were reported, and the company said it’s investigating an anomaly. Energy + Data Centers: DeSoto County is weighing a natural-gas-powered AI data center proposal after rezoning land near a decommissioned power plant, as residents raise concerns about water use. Local Water Quality: Tampa-area experts urged homeowners to check backyard tidal creeks and use a public dashboard to track which creeks need nutrient reductions. Food + Energy Crossover: A New Glenn test and other major Florida developments are unfolding alongside broader consumer pressure on costs, including rising food and energy bills.

Data Centers & Local Pushback: Escambia County residents are already organizing against a proposed “smaller” AI data center after FloridaWest said a defense company approached it under an NDA, with officials stressing there’s no active negotiation. Grid & Power Costs Politics: A new poll finds voters across the U.S. are focused on electricity affordability, backing faster permitting for new generation and more grid upgrades if it lowers bills. Florida Energy Infrastructure: Lakeland is weighing an early-stage proposal for a 600,000-square-foot hyperscale data center (“Project Swan”) that would include buildings, stormwater ponds, and an electrical substation. Federal Energy/Tech Policy: Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis advanced an AM radio protection push that would require AM radios in new vehicles and block subscription fees, citing emergency communications. Climate Risk & Insurance: A report warns insurer pullbacks are becoming structural as hurricane and wildfire losses reprice climate risk—pressuring Florida’s private market too. Hurricane Readiness: Marion County lifted its burn ban after rain, while other north Florida counties still restrict outdoor burning.

Daylight Saving Time Push: The “Sunshine Protection Act” cleared a key House committee vote and could reach the U.S. House floor this week, aiming to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. Hurricane Outlook for Florida: WeatherTiger forecasts a below-average 2026 hurricane season thanks to a strong El Niño, but warns Florida could still see a higher share of any U.S. landfall activity. Florida Property Tax Debate: Gov. DeSantis’ proposal to eliminate property taxes is drawing pushback from economists who say local services would still need funding, likely via sales taxes or fees. Gas Prices Watch (Florida): GasBuddy reports diesel prices in Hardee County hitting $5.09/gallon (week ending May 16), with Florida diesel averaging $5.21. Energy & Grid/AI Backdrop: Commentary and policy chatter continues around AI-driven power demand and data-center growth, with some cities considering limits as electricity concerns rise. Maritime Industry Pressure: The American Maritime Partnership launched outreach urging Trump to end a 150-day Jones Act waiver, arguing it harms U.S. maritime jobs and shipyards.