This piece is part of a series of articles examining where 2026 Southeastern candidates for state and federal offices stand on key energy and climate issues, like data centers and energy costs.
Note: The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy does not support or oppose candidates or political parties. Links to reports, candidate websites, and outside sources are provided as citizen education tools.
In this blog post, we examine the policies and positions of David Jolly, the Democratic Party candidate running for Governor of Florida. Also in this series, we profile Republican candidate Byron Donalds. Election Day is November 3.
David Jolly is a fifth-generation Floridian and former member of Congress, having represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District from 2014-2017. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Emory University and a law degree from George Mason University. Jolly has practiced law in the private sector and worked as a political consultant.
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
David Jolly’s campaign website directly addresses renewable energy as a core issue. “Clean energy is good for Florida’s environment and good for Florida’s economy. Florida should require public utilities to integrate clean energy technologies at scale, making renewable power accessible rather than optional. The plan uses solar, wind, and renewable technologies to lower utility bills for working families, create jobs building and maintaining renewable systems, and protect Florida’s environment and tourism economy. This approach reduces dependence on imported natural gas that drives up costs and builds a more resilient, distributed power grid.”
During a recent interview with Sarasota Community Radio, Jolly said, “We are going to appoint people to our regulatory commissions, to our water boards, that believe in clean air and clean water. We’re going to appoint people to our Public Service Commission to begin to require our utilities to incorporate more clean and renewable energies, driving down costs for consumers but ensuring stewardship of the environment.”
Climate Change
In 2016, David Jolly, as Congressman for Florida’s 13th district, joined the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and cosponsored the Gibson climate resolution (H. Res. 424), which called on the House to explicitly state that climate change is real and human-caused. Now running as a candidate for governor, he is campaigning on the issue of climate science. On his website, it asks “Is climate change real in Florida?” and answers “Yes, and Florida faces some of the most direct climate impacts in the country. Florida’s Gulf Coast is projected for 22 to 26 inches of sea level rise by 2050 (about double the U.S. average), and hurricane intensity is rising. The 2024 hurricane season caused over $100 billion in combined damage across the Southeast.”
In a recent interview, he responded to a question on his climate change stance, saying, “Listen. We’re going to accept climate science when I’m governor. We’re going to reverse this irresponsible position of Republicans in Tallahassee denying climate science. We’re going to recognize that climate science is real. It’s here. The state and the Earth are hotter, the water is warmer, the storms are bigger, and we are in greater danger because of the negligence of Republicans in Tallahassee. I don’t have any apologies for fighting that fight.”
Electric Transportation
David Jolly directly addresses transportation electrification on his campaign website, saying:
“Florida has the second-most registered electric vehicles of any state, about 254,878 as of the end of 2023, behind only California. As more Floridians drive electric, demand for clean, affordable, home-grown electricity grows, making the case for building out more in-state solar.”
Energy Justice
We were unable to confirm David Jolly’s position on energy justice in published media, public records, or on his campaign website.
Energy Affordability
One of the policy proposals that David Jolly is using to address energy affordability is to cap the return on equity (RoE) that Florida’s major electric utilities are allowed to gather from customers at the national average. Florida’s Public Service Commission, the state utility regulators, set a permitted return on equity (RoE), which is a guaranteed profit that investor-owned utilities (IOUs) are allowed to earn from utility customers. Utilities make money building new infrastructure because that guaranteed profit is baked into new building costs. An RoE cap policy was proposed by Jolly to offset actions taken by the Florida Public Service Commission this past year when they approved a $6.9 billion rate hike for Florida Power & Light that included an RoE of 10.95%, despite the national RoE average of around 9.7%.
Jolly also addresses energy affordability by committing to more renewable energy. His website states: “New utility-scale solar and wind are now the cheapest sources of new electricity in the country, undercutting new natural gas plants. Adding home-grown solar and battery storage shields you from natural gas price spikes and creates more stable, lower long-run costs.”
High-Risk Energy: Nuclear, Coal, Methane Gas
Jolly has expressed the need for Floridians to invest in clean energy rather than the continued reliance on fossil gas. His website states: “Florida burns gas for about three-quarters of its electricity, but nearly all of that gas is piped in from out of state, so Floridians are exposed to national price swings they cannot control. Adding more in-state solar would reduce that dependence on imported fuel and the volatility it brings to bills.”
Data Centers
David Jolly has proposed an immediate statewide moratorium on new data center construction in Florida to evaluate and address their strain on local resources. “I’m calling for a stop to AI data centers until Florida has a responsible plan to protect our water, our workforce, and our way of life,” Jolly said. He cites concerns about the resource demand from data centers, including water and the local power grid, as well as the community impact, including noise pollution, reduced property value drops, and a lack of proper worker or environmental protections.
Voting Information
Election Day is November 3. Here are important dates and deadlines to consider:
- Oct. 5, 2026: Voter registration deadline
- Oct. 22, 2026: Absentee ballot request deadline
- Early voting varies by county. Early voting was approved by the Florida Legislature in 2004. Statewide, early voting is currently held a minimum of the 10th day through the 3rd day prior to any federal, state or county election, with the Supervisor of Elections having the option to provide early voting on the 15th, 14th, 13th, 12th, 11th and 2nd days prior to the election.
- Nov. 3, 2024: General Election Day
- Nov. 3, 2026: Absentee ballot return deadline
- Nov. 3, 2026: Absentee ballot return deadline for military and overseas citizen voters
For more information about being a Florida voter, including registering, finding your polling place, and requesting an absentee ballot, visit dos.fl.gov/elections.
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