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Today’s entry: Submitted via Talkback.
Constitutional Carry & Florida’s Power Infrastructure
Bottom Line: These are two questions which take us in two different directions for sure but I’m happy to address them both. Specific to the prospect of “Constitutional Carry” coming to Florida – this is something I addressed on May 2nd. From that day’s Top Three Takeaways... Constitutional carry is coming to Florida. It appears to only be a matter of exactly when. While some had hoped it would have been in this year’s state legislative session, and others have been pushing for it in Florida’s two special sessions, that’s not been a reality. But when will it be a reality? In the words of Governor DeSantis on Friday - “I can tell you that before I am done as Governor, we will have a signature on that bill”. That can be interpreted in one of two ways given that it’s not currently in the cards this year... Extreme confidence by Governor DeSantis in his reelection bid which would lead to him becoming governor – or yet another special session situation centered around the subject. If there’s one thing all Floridians should have learned by now, if DeSantis says he’ll do something. He will. While the politics of Tuesday’s school shooting won’t aid in advancing this issue (while the push is once again firmly on the side of gun control, which Florida has already engaged in as part of the Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act), I don’t think it's likely to alter the trajectory of this one either. It’s likely to be taken up in either a special session this fall or perhaps more likely, in next year’s Legislative Session. As for Florida’s power stability, let’s get to it.
You can take heart in knowing Florida’s power stability is among the best. The US Department of Energy produces an annual report on the status and stability of the power grid in every state. This includes data documenting the pervasiveness of power outages. The result... Florida’s power grid is the 6th most reliable in the country. Only North Dakota, Arizona, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Illinois have more reliable power systems in place than we do. When you factor in the amount of severe weather we’re subjected to, that’s especially impressive. Of course, it's also somewhat related. The most reliable delivery of energy has been through underground power lines. And as you’re likely aware the push to underground Florida’s power lines, led by FPL in South Florida, has been a huge success. Since FPL’s pilot program in 2018, FPL’s completed over 600 neighborhood undergrounding projects in South Florida. Additionally, almost all new power supply added by FPL in recent years has come in the form of underground lines. 45% of FPL’s entire footprint is now undergrounded – this compares to about 30% for the state’s other power providers. Speaking of 45%, it’s also the improvement in reliability that’s been attained through these hardening measures over the past decade. The average Floridian, despite our proclivity for severe weather, is only without power for an average of 1.5 hours annually. Based on these trends Florida’s likely soon to be top 5 in reliability with room for additional improvement ongoing.
Florida’s near-best power infrastructure is consistent with our state’s overall infrastructure. Florida ranks 5th best overall infrastructure with a B+ rating. This is driven by the power infrastructure we’ve discussed along with having top five ratings for the conditions for bridges, roads (I suspect South Florida accounts for almost all of the issues in the state), and broadband access. Infrastructure has generally been excellent and improving in Florida, with the biggest gains currently being made with the already strong power supply.
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