Dive Brief:

• Millions in campaign contributions and armies of lobbyists keep utility corporate interest far ahead of the public interest in Florida's capitol, according to an Integrity Florida report that calls on lawmakers to make utilities more transparent and accountable. 
• The report found that, between 2004 and 2012, the state's four investor-owned utilities spent more than $18 million on political campaigns and over the last five years put more than $12 million into hiring lobbyists.
• The report also detailed a pattern of favoritism toward utilities by the Public Service Commission and the Legislature. "You don't have interest groups that are able to go toe-to-toe with utilities companies so what happens is, they basically get their way,'' said Sen. John Legg.
• The report was paid for by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, which a Florida Power & Light (FPL) spokesman called "an anti-utility organization." He said utilities, by contrast, "are actually working in the best interest of customers."

Dive Insight:

According to the report, FPL spent the most, $4.7 million, on lobbying and typically employs up to 33 lobbyists in a year. Tampa Electric spent $4.2 million and employs up to 31 lobbyists per year. Duke Energy spent about $2 million since 2007 and employed 16 to 20 lobbyists a year. Gulf Power spent $1.7 million and hired 11 to 15 lobbyists every year.

The expenditures may or may not be exceptional compared with a number of other states, but complaints of utility lobbying are hardly unusual in many states. Neither are "revolving doors," through which people pass between utility regulator positions and utility-associated jobs. The Integrity Florida report says that five former Public Service Commission members, including the current executive director, are working or have worked for FPL. It will be worth watching Florida to see if the charges of outsized influence resonate with voters.