Florida’s Rate-Hike Revolt Shows the Cost of Politically Favored Power

Originally published by Florida's Voice.

Florida is in the middle of a rate-hike revolt, and for good reason. Electricity in Florida isn’t a lifestyle choice, it’s a medical necessity. Florida households use roughly 1,100 kilowatt-hours per month, about 30% above the national average, and they have the ninth-highest electric bills in the nation. This matters because air conditioning is not only about comfort, but also protection against heat stroke and other health risks. Every rate increase takes a toll.

Florida’s municipal utilities say they have held the line better than the state’s larger utilities, citing more cautious moves on solar expansion. In a June 2025 letter, Florida Municipal Power Agency CEO Jacob Williams wrote that municipal-utility residential rates had risen only 12% since 2017, the lowest increase in the state. By contrast, other utilities with roughly three times as much solar capacity saw rates climb by 25%.

At some of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, recent bill increases have been staggering. TECO Energy bills are up 86% since 2020, Florida Power and Light (FPL) bills have risen 45%, and Duke Energy bills are up 49%. FPL recently secured its largest-ever rate hike at about $7 billion with roughly $1 billion in new annual revenue. Part of that funding supports a solar expansion program called SoBRA, which gives politically favored solar projects a special path to rate recovery outside a new full general rate case.

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