David Jolly On Climate & Energy: Where the Candidates Stand

David Jolly, the Democratic candidate for Florida governor, is campaigning on expanding renewable energy and lowering utility bills. He wants to require public utilities to add more solar and wind power to the grid and says this would cut dependence on imported natural gas, which currently supplies about three-quarters of Florida's electricity. He also wants to appoint regulators to the Public Service Commission, the state body that oversees utility rates, who would push companies toward cleaner power sources.

On costs, Jolly has proposed capping the "return on equity" utilities are allowed to collect from customers — essentially a guaranteed profit margin built into rates — at the national average, around 9.7%. This comes after regulators approved a $6.9 billion rate increase for Florida Power & Light with a 10.95% return on equity. Jolly argues that adding more in-state solar and battery storage would also protect homeowners from price swings tied to out-of-state gas supplies. He accepts mainstream climate science, pointing to projections of 22 to 26 inches of sea level rise on Florida's Gulf Coast by 2050 and rising hurricane intensity.

Jolly has also called for an immediate statewide pause on new data center construction, citing strain on water supplies, the power grid, and local communities. None of this amounts to a specific program homeowners can use yet — it's a campaign platform ahead of the November 3 election, where Florida's governor's race could shape future utility regulation and clean energy policy.