By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
An overwhelming number of Floridians report that their utility costs are rising, according to a statewide poll of voters showing that nearly 80% back alternative, clean energy sources that could mitigate those rising prices.
The survey of 1,000 likely 2026 voters commissioned by Conservatives for Clean Energy – Florida shows that 78% support clean energy initiatives, including 63% of Republicans.
Two-thirds of voters overall in the poll (67%) would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports growth of solar power in Florida. The survey also shows a shift toward support for nuclear power. When described “as something that Trump and large corporations support,” 62% of voters support increasing nuclear energy production.
“Pocketbook issues are clearly the No. 1 issue of concern going into the 2026 election cycle, and connecting the dots here it’s very easy to see that Florida voters across the political spectrum understand that diversifying our portfolio and taking an ‘all of the above approach’ is going to be key to actually bringing their costs down,” said Zachary Colletti, executive director of Conservatives for Clean Energy – Florida. “That’s the most important story here.”
Solar power provides only 8% of the state’s electricity portfolio now, but that’s expected to increase over the next decade. The amount of solar power that will fuel the state will rise to 28% by 2032, according to a report published earlier this year by the Florida Public Service Commission.
The solar industry in Florida and across the country suffered a huge blow this summer following passage of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which removes a 30% tax break for individuals who buy rooftop solar panels, effective at the end of this year.
“Solar power has been getting a bad rap as of late, mostly because the public does not want to see green space turned into solar farms — which is totally understandable,” said Jake Hoffman, president of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans, in an email message.
“However, solar farms are not the only solar solution. If we want to be serious about filling the immediate need for energy independence, our government should be accelerating all forms of energy and solar energy with battery storage in locations that make sense as a major part of that equation.”
The survey shows that nearly three quarters of Republicans and two-thirds of NPA voters support nuclear power, while Democrats are split on the issue. Nuclear power supplied about 11% of Florida’s energy portfolio in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Florida Power & Light operates the only two functioning nuclear power plants in the state — at St. Lucie and Turkey Point. A third nuclear plant at Crystal River was shut down in 2013 by Duke Energy
Politics
Byron Donalds, the Naples Republican U.S. House member running for governor, is a supporter of nuclear power. He co-sponsored a resolution in 2023 expressing Congress’ commitment to embracing nuclear power as a clean baseload energy source.
Paul Renner, the former Florida House Speaker who recently entered the Republican race for governor, supported energy legislation (HB 1645) in the 2024 legislative session that erased several instances of the words “climate change” from state statutes.
“We are looking at ways — including clean energy ways — to make sure that we are not ever subject to brownouts and blackouts that places like California have suffered and other places are predicted to suffer that are not focusing on a reliable grid,” Renner told reporters in December 2023
“And, unfortunately, that works at cross-purposes with the uber-aggressive timeline that climate activists have put us on where they want us to go tomorrow. And if I had a magic wand and I could say, ‘All energy is clean energy and we will never use fossil fuels again and we can do that tomorrow at no cost,’ I would do it,” Renner continued. “Everybody should want a clean future. But that’s not realistic.”
The Florida Democratic Party’s leading candidate for governor, David Jolly, has said that if elected he would appoint people to the Public Service Commission “to begin to require our utilities to incorporate more clean and renewable energies.”
Nearly 12 million customers of Florida Power & Light Co. faced potentially the largest rate hike in U.S. history as recently as last month. However, days before the Public Service Commission was set to hear arguments in the case, FPL filed a four-year rate settlement agreement that reduced its original revenue request by approximately 30%, according to FPL.
The survey of 1,000 likely 2026 general election voters was conducted by Cygnal, a Virginia market research group, for Conservatives for Clean Energy – Florida. The survey took place on Aug. 26 and 27. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.09%.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: in**@************ix.com. Banner photo: A roadside view of solar panels in Florida (iStock image).
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