Tampa, FL — Today, at a Tampa City Council meeting, residents organized by the Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition urged council members to pass an affordable energy resolution that calls on lawmakers like Senate President-Elect Jim Boyd to prioritize affordable energy legislation in 2027. Residents are asking that elected leaders support affordable energy reforms that would cap the profits utilities can make off their customers and for utilities to pay their fair share of rising fuel costs. 

“As we see the cost of living rise all across our country, working families, single parents, and our seniors continue to struggle to make ends meet. Many Floridians are struggling to cover basic expenses. The rising cost of insurance, gas, rent, and utility bills are squeezing every wallet,” said Tampa City Council Member Guida Maniscalco, District 2. “While trying to simply put food on the table or to be able to pay rent, the rate increases for electric bills have added another burden. It is important that we address this matter in order to help the hard working women and men that are constantly trying to play “catch up”.

“Florida electricity bills are out of control. Demand for affordable energy reform is at a tipping point for Tampa residents,” said Food & Water Watch Florida Organizer Isabella Moeller. “While state lawmakers ignore our plight, our local leaders have the opportunity to step up and act on lowering electricity bills. Our City officials must pass a resolution urging the Florida legislature to pass affordable energy legislation next session that will provide real relief to our communities.”

“As a TECO customer, I’m tired of being asked to pay more year after year while corporate profits continue to grow,” said Alyssa White, Climate Justice Organizer with Florida Student Power. “The Florida Public Service Commission is supposed to protect consumers from unjust rates, yet they continue to rubber stamp each rake hike request. That is why we need the Tampa City Council to stand with their constituents and apply pressure to our legislators to reject these outrageous rate hikes and demand more affordable energy prices.”

“As a solar abundant state, we have the opportunity to be energy efficient and secure. There is an urgent need to enhance our capacity for resilience by expanding community access to the benefits of solar production and storage,” said Adrian Santiago, Tampa DSA Eco Socialist Working Group. “People need clean, affordable energy that doesn’t contribute to intensified weather or expose us to disasters and wars. Fossil fuels increase energy costs and create instability. Green energy is affordable energy and governance can take action by legislating affordable energy reform now.”

“From grass-roots individual action, to public bodies of local governments, a callout to end the corporate raiding of consumers’ savings by the legalized monopoly of the utility industry is required,” said Todd Randolph with Sierra Club Tampa Bay. “This can only be ensured through laws, which is why we are asking our locally elected officials to demand our state legislature take action.”

The call for action comes as the Florida Legislature failed to advance any energy affordability bills this year. TECO residential bills have increased 86 percent — about $980 more annually — between December 2020 and January 2026, and 22 percent — or $375 more annually — in the last year alone.

Despite affordability emerging as a bipartisan issue in recent years, no action has been taken to address corporate profiteering. TECO’s 2024 rate hike — which the company pointed to for its record profits last year — is being appealed to the Florida Supreme Court. The Office of Public Counsel has argued that TECO failed to adequately consider how the rate hikes would make it harder for Floridians to afford their electricity bills.

The Hillsborough Affordable Energy Coalition includes Food & Water Watch, Florida Rising, Florida Student Power, genCLEO, Sierra Club, Tampa DSA, Central Florida Jobs with Justice, & League of Latin American Citizens.