On January 27th, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order calling for the United States energy sector to be carbon-pollution free by 2035. For its part, the energy sector has not challenged the prospect of being carbon-pollution free. In fact, many utilities and municipalities had already committed to decarbonization prior to Biden’s executive order. Instead, industry concerns center on whether 2035 is a feasible timeline given technological and political constraints. Questions also arise as to the efficacy of a state-by-state versus regional or national approach to the sector’s decarbonization. In states hit hard by the effects of a changing climate, like Florida, where increasingly devastating hurricanes and sea-level rise threaten the populous shores, a concerted effort may be the only path to protection.

This paper explores the broader charge placed on the energy sector, followed by a deeper analysis of Florida’s likely progress toward that carbon-pollution-free goal. It begins with a broad overview of the changing energy sector, climate change (the driver behind carbon-reduction legislation), and the energy sector structure and terminology. Then, it dives into the Florida energy sector more specifically with an overview of Florida’s energy grid, the history of its energy regulations, and its current decarbonization efforts. Concluding remarks will answer the question of whether Florida’s energy regulations and practices are bringing the state closer to a carbon-pollution-free future. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as this paper describes through competing legislations and energy sector advances, the landscape is too contentious to tell.