At the start of the year, a city councilman in Tampa, Florida crafted a resolution for 100% clean energy by 2030.
The resolution was non-binding and quite common. Nearly 200 cities around America have vowed to get 100% of their electricity from zero-carbon resources.
But it also included language that would set off a political chain reaction in the state: an aspiration to phase out fossil fuels.
It scared the local gas and power utility, Tampa Electric, which used its lobbying power and money to launch a more aggressive counter-strike. And it spawned new Republican legislation that will restrict what cities can do about climate change.
This week: what Florida tells us about the new front in the conflict over climate policy across America.
Guest: Grist Reporter Emily Pontecorvo, who co-authored a story about the gas industry’s influence on Florida’s new laws.
The Carbon Copy is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media.
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