This post is part of a series examining where 2024 candidates running for public offices in the Southeast stand on key energy and climate issues. 

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 Rick Scott, the Republican Party candidate running for reelection to represent Florida in the United States Senate. Also in this series, we profile Democratic candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Election Day is November 5, 2024.

Scott was elected in 2018 to represent the state of Florida in the United States Senate as a member of the Republican Party. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served two terms as the Governor of Florida from 2011-2019. After serving in the United States Navy, he co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation, which merged with Hospital Corporation of America and eventually became the nation’s largest for-profit healthcare company. Scott was raised in the Midwest, earned a degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

Scott voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has provided funding to projects in Florida that will lower energy use, improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Scott also voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which is investing billions of dollars to spur U.S. manufacturing and deployment of renewable energy including: solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and critical minerals processing. 

Climate Change

Scott rejects the scientific consensus on climate change, famously replying when asked about it as Governor in 2014, “I’m not a scientist.”  Subsequently, climate scientists met with him to discuss causes of climate change and solutions, and while they were detailing solutions, including energy-efficient cars and buildings and the elimination of coal fired power plants, an aide for Scott ended the conversation.

While governor, accusations were made that Scott’s administration had instructed Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials to avoid the terms “climate change” or “global warming” in official communications, a claim Scott denies. 

Recently, when interviewed in the deadly aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Scott acknowledged that the climate is “clearly changing” and when asked about the cause replied “Who knows what the reason is, but something is changing. Massive storms. Massive storm surge. So we’ve got to figure this out.” Sen. Scott’s website addresses climate change by stating, “the weather is always changing. We take climate change seriously, but not hysterically. We will not adopt nutty policies that harm our economy or our jobs.”

Electric Transportation

Senator Scott introduced the Directing Independent Research to Yield Carbon Assessment Regarding Electric Vehicles Act to require the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency to study the carbon and environmental impacts of electric vehicles, despite the fact that the Department of Energy publishes vehicle emissions data on their website demonstrating the significantly lower emissions from electric vehicles. Senator Scott said, “The Biden administration continues to push the use of electric vehicles by forcing the automotive industry to shift away from the use of fossil fuels. We need clear data on what impacts this will have on American families and our environment. There is ample evidence to suggest that EVs are not as clean as people are being led to believe and folks deserve to know the truth. Knowing the carbon footprint of each electric vehicle and the impact on our electrical grids are key to making informed decisions and preventing widespread government regulations and gross overreach.” 

Energy Equity and Energy Burden

During an interview with Americans for Prosperity in 2022, Scott discussed how energy policy is tied to the economy saying, “when the Biden administration, the Democrats say, they have a war on fossil fuel– it’s actually a war on the poor families. Energy is a driver to the world economy. It’s a driver to getting people out of poverty,” he continued “it puts our companies at risk because we can’t compete in a global economy,” he explained. “Why is it that energy produced in Venezuela is okay, but energy produced in Texas is bad? I mean, this doesn’t make any sense.” The United States is in fact the world’s biggest producer of crude oil and natural gas. Additionally, the levelized cost of renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. 

High-Risk Energy: Coal, Nuclear, Oil, Gas

In 2023, Rick Scott introduced a bill which would have required Federal agencies to expedite permitting for energy infrastructure including oil and gas pipelines and lease sales, rescinded Executive Order 13990 (designed to protect public health, the environment and address the climate crisis) thereby approving a key permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, turned oil and gas regulation on federal lands over to state governments, and terminated the federal tax credit for electric vehicles. 

Scott has benefited from the fossil fuel industry and has invested in companies with ownership interests in Florida’s three natural gas pipelines, permitted and regulated by the state.

Scott has received more than $486,000 from oil and gas since he first ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018.

Voter Information

Election Day is November 5. Here are important dates and deadlines to consider, from the Florida Division of Elections:

• Deadline for county election offices to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters: September 21, 2024
• Deadline for county election offices to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters:  September 26, 2024 – October 3, 2024
• Deadline to register to vote:  October 7, 2024 (no deadline to change party affiliation)
• Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: October 24, 2024
• Early voting period (mandatory period):  October 26 – November 2, 2024. [In addition, county supervisors of elections have the option to offer more early voting on the 5 days before the mandatory start, and/or 1 day after the mandatory end (i.e. potentially opening Oct. 21-Nov. 3 for early voting)]
• Election Day:  November 5, 2024

*Visit Vote-by-Mail and Military and Overseas Citizens Voting for information about deadlines to send a vote-by-mail ballot, to request a vote-by-mail ballot and to return vote by a mail ballot.

** Due to Hurricane Helene, Governor DeSantis has issued Executive Order 24-212 making changes to election rules for some residents of the counties most affected by Helene. Hurricane Milton may affect voting as well. Check here for the latest information.

Find additional important election information here.

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Candidate Rick Scott On Climate & Energy