FLORIDA — Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1217 into law on April 22, 2024, prohibiting Florida local governments from pursuing net-zero emissions goals. The legislation, which takes effect on July 1, requires local governments to submit annual compliance affidavits to the state Department of Revenue.

The law states that net-zero policies, carbon taxes, assessments, and emission trading programs are detrimental to the state's energy security and economic interests. It prohibits local governments from purchasing vehicles or appliances based on fuel type or production process, participating in carbon-trading programs, or charging a tax or fee tied to carbon emissions. Additionally, HB 1217 bars cities and counties from using public funds to support organizations with net-zero policies.

At least 10 Florida cities and counties have implemented net-zero emissions policies, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, and Leon County. Following the bill's passage, Leon County leaders rescinded a 2023 resolution declaring a climate emergency and rolled back plans to phase out fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

Representative Berny Jacques, a Republican representing Clearwater, sponsored the bill. "I proudly sponsored HB 1217 to fight for jobs and affordability in Florida," Jacques said. "This bill protects our residents and businesses from additional costs by ridding our state of Green New Deal policies. Carbon taxes and fees are not welcome in the Free State of Florida."

Laura Peterson, a senior analyst at the Union for Concerned Scientists, commented on the legislation. "This bill is definitely part of a larger coordinated push by the political enablers of the fossil fuel industry to obstruct any tools—legal or legislative tools—to hold the industry accountable for its contributions to climate change," Peterson said. "Florida is really on the front lines. It's not getting better. So I can only assume that this is an effort to satisfy some of the pressures that he's getting from donors and from his party to protect the industry. And he's doing it at the expense of his constituents."

The Orlando Utilities Commission, which serves more than 288,000 customers in Orange and Osceola counties, committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 in 2020. In a statement, the commission said: "Our focus remains on delivering reliable, affordable energy while continuing to reduce our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in a responsible and balanced way. Since 2020, we have made meaningful progress in lowering CO2 emissions and remain committed to further reductions including a 50 percent reduction by 2030 and 75 percent by 2040."

In 2024, DeSantis implemented another law that removed several instances of the words 'climate change' from the state code. That law restructured the state's fossil fuel-based energy policy to reduce reliance on foreign sources and nullified goals aimed at enhancing renewable energy use.