Florida could remove the majority of mentions of climate change from state law

A bill backed by the speaker of the Florida House would also make wide-ranging changes to state energy policies.

A bill advancing through the Florida Legislature with the backing of the House speaker would delete the majority of references to climate change in state law.

House Bill 1645 would enact wide-ranging changes to Florida’s energy policy, something Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, has said is needed to ensure state residents’ power is reliable and affordable.

In the process, the bill would delete eight times the phrase “climate change” is mentioned in current law (compared to seven instances where it would be left untouched). Sometimes, the phrase is deleted from sentences that are otherwise left mostly intact. In other cases, the bill would repeal entire sections of law that mention climate change, such as a grant program that helps local governments and school districts reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill would also reduce certain regulations on natural gas pipelines, preempt local governments’ control over the location of natural gas storage facilities and make it so state agencies and local governments no longer have to consider fuel efficiency when buying vehicles, among other changes.