Florida has unraveled climate goals for years. DeSantis struck the latest blow.

By Bruce Ritchie | 06/17/2024 06:20 AM EDT

The Florida governor said Friday that state energy policy must be “driven by affordability” and reliability and not a “climate ideology.”

Joe Biden speaks at a lectern as Ron DeSantis and Casey DeSantis stand behind him.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) listens as President Joe Biden speaks after touring an area impacted by Hurricane Ian on Oct. 5, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Evan Vucci/AP Photo

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday toured flood-ravaged areas of South Florida — and defended his recent move to scrap the state’s climate change goals.

DeSantis toured flooded areas of Hollywood, where he declared a state of emergency Wednesday after parts of the region received more than 20 inches of rain this week. There, he brushed off recent criticism from Democrats for signing a bill last month that struck language directing the state to promote renewable energy and curb greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our energy bill that we did, it wasn’t about saying or not saying ‘climate change,’” DeSantis said Friday. “It was a substantive piece of legislation to say that in the state of Florida our energy policy is going to be driven by affordability for Floridians and reliability.”

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After a storm, “We need to get the lights back on,” he continued. “We don’t want our policy driven by climate ideology.”

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