Utility Service Restrictions :
HB 1137 preempts local governments and certain other public bodies from restricting the types of energy sources or appliances that utilities and related providers may use or serve with. It amends Florida’s utility preemption statute to bar counties, municipalities, special districts, community development districts, and similar entities from adopting or enforcing rules that directly or indirectly limit fuel sources such as electricity, natural gas, or liquefied petroleum gas for covered providers. The bill also makes clear that existing local measures preempted by the act and in place before or on July 1, 2021, are void.
The bill further creates a new prohibition for electric cooperatives, preventing them from using bylaws, tariffs, or policies to restrict fuel sources or appliances, including stoves and grills, that use those energy sources. In addition, it limits the Florida Building Commission and the State Fire Marshal from adopting code provisions that would require or prohibit installation of materials intended to facilitate use of more than one energy source, except where needed for appliance operation or for emergency and standby power systems. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 1137 expands state-level preemption over local regulation of utility service and energy choice, narrowing the ability of local governments and certain quasi-governmental bodies to influence fuel selection, appliance use, and related building or fire code requirements. It affects Florida Statutes sections 366.032, 425.041, 553.73, and 633.202, and it applies to public utilities, electric utilities, natural gas utilities, liquefied petroleum gas providers, electric cooperatives, the Florida Building Commission, and the State Fire Marshal. The bill is likely to preserve consumer access to gas and electric appliance options and limit local electrification or fuel-restriction policies.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, but the bill’s enactment into chapter law suggests it moved through the process without documented public opposition in the materials provided. Its structure and broad preemption language indicate a policy preference for statewide uniformity and consumer choice in energy and appliance use. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a pro-industry, pro-consumer-choice measure.
The main point of contention is the bill’s restriction on local authority. Supporters would likely view the measure as preventing a patchwork of local rules and protecting access to multiple energy sources, while opponents would likely argue it limits cities, counties, and special districts from advancing local energy, climate, or building-code policies. Additional tension may arise from the provisions affecting the Florida Building Commission and State Fire Marshal, because those sections constrain code-making authority except in narrow circumstances. The cooperative provision may also be notable because it extends the preemption beyond traditional government entities to utility cooperatives.