New Florida windmill ban law goes into effect along with language removing "climate change"

TAMPA, Fla. — The state of Florida currently has zero windmills operating on land or offshore, and some Republican legislators want to keep it that way.

In May, Gov. DeSantis signed HB 1645 into law, going into effect July 1.

According to the language of the law, it "Prohibits the construction or expansion of an offshore wind energy facility, including buildings, structures, vessels, and electrical transmission cables to the site. A wind turbine or wind energy facility within one mile of a coastline—defined as the mean high water line. A wind turbine or wind energy facility within one mile of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway or Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. A wind turbine or wind energy facility on state waters and submerged lands."

Opponents of the new law tell ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska they are wondering why it is necessary.

"I just am perplexed at the strategy here, when it could mean a lot to Florida beyond what people think of as well, just put a turbine up," Henry Kelley, President and co-founder of BlueWind Technology, told ABC Action News reporter Michael Paluska.

Kelley's Pensacola factory creates nacelles for wind turbines. A nacelle is the protective housing for a wind turbine, similar to the housing around the motor of a floor fan.

Kelley told Paluska the company produced their first nacelle in 2020, and business has been booming ever since.

"I'm very proud of this. We've gone from zero employees to nearly 150. We see tremendous growth across the United States. You have a lot of jobs in Florida producing wind, and my concern when this bill was passed, as I expressed to the committees hearing the bill, is what message it sends for future growth and future research opportunities when you are outlawing projects that aren't even on the drawing books," Kelley said. "Everyone in politics talks about bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US. And this is precisely what I'm trying to do. I have 150 employees in my factory alone here in Pensacola."

In February, Kelley testified before the Florida Senate in front of the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government.

We reached out multiple times toRepublican State Sen. Jay Collins in District 14, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill. But ABC Action News has yet to hear back.

At that same committee meeting, Collins said, "We're doing this out of the belief that we need to protect our ecosystem animals and our tourism industry first.

Collins also posted a video on Instagram explaining why the law is necessary for Floridians.

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The new law also aims to study small nuclear reactor technology, expand the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles, and enhance electric grid security.

But, it also removes several references to the word "climate change" and climate "friendly" products.

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"There's special interest in Tallahassee, they're very powerful. And the oil and gas industry is one of those, you know, electric utilities are another one," State Rep. Lindsay Cross, a Democrat in District 60, said.

"What does it tell Floridians about how the state feels about the environment, climate change, hurricanes, storms?" Paluska asked.

"I think, what it's, what it signals is that we don't believe in science," Cross said. "Windmills are something that was put in here that probably got more attention than some of the things reversing some of the proactive climate legislation that we had, that in the long run, I think are gonna be more damaging for our state."

Paluska reached out to Gov. DeSantis for comment. A spokesperson directed us to his social media posts.

In a post on X, DeSantis wrote, "We're restoring sanity in our approach to energy and rejecting the agenda of the radical green zealots."

"Well, the reality is that the prices for natural gas, which were our state is 75%, dependent on natural gas right now. So those prices are where the volatility is, in reality. So no, it doesn't make sense," Kim Ross, the co-executive director for ReThink Energy Florida, said.

"Does it make sense that green energy isn't stable enough for us to carry into the future?" Paluska asked Ross.

"Our state is 75% dependent on natural gas right now. So those prices are where the volatility is. So, no, it doesn't make sense. Because if we're concerned about stability, we're going to be investing in things other than what we're very dependent on right now. The cost of natural gas gets passed on to the consumers when working families just can't afford additional increases as we continue to move forward."