The City of Tallahassee is set to host Florida lawmakers at its electric utility facilities for a site visit this Tuesday morning
Tallahassee: The Florida House of Representatives’ Economic Infrastructure subcommittee is heading to Tallahassee’s electric utility facilities for a field trip. They’ve got a site visit planned for Tuesday morning at the utility control center and substation on Centerville Road and Medical Drive.
City Manager Reese Goad is excited about the visit. He mentioned that they take pride in their operations and are happy to show off what they’ve got. “We have state-of-the-art generation; we operate one of the best-run control centers,” he said. Sounds like they’re ready to impress!
It’s pretty common for lawmakers to swing by Tallahassee since it’s just a short drive away. With the legislative session coming up, this visit might set the stage for discussions that usually happen around this time. Last year, there were talks about the state possibly taking over some municipal utilities.
Goad isn’t sure what this session will bring but is keeping an eye on things. He said, “I think it’s maybe a little too early to tell, but that’s obviously something we’re mindful of.”
In 2023, the House Energy, Communications & Cybersecurity Subcommittee looked at legislation that could give the Public Service Commission more oversight over city electric utilities. The PSC already regulates investor-owned utilities but not those owned by municipalities.
They also considered a bill that would limit how much money city utilities could transfer to their general funds each year, but that one didn’t make it through the Commerce Committee. However, they did pass a bill creating a separate authority to manage Gainesville’s utility operations without the Gainesville City Commission’s control.
Goad mentioned that it’s always possible the state might bring something similar to the table again this year. He assured that the city will keep monitoring any discussions and do their best to manage the situation.
Local government watchdog reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida House panel will tour Tallahassee utility facilities
