Officials: No ban on new gas stations

News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE — A proposal that would prohibit local governments from banning gas stations is set for a final vote in the Senate.

Sen. Travis Hutson, a St. Augustine Republican who is sponsoring the “preemption” bill (HB 839), said the proposal would allow local governments to advance clean-energy options without prohibiting already-existing energy sources.

The bill also would prevent mandating infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging stations, on fuel retailers.

“I have no problem with clean energy,” Hutson said. “In fact, I encourage our cities and counties to do clean energy. They could do solar. They can do electric stations. They could do whatever they want in terms of trying to get to clean energy. What I’m afraid of is them taking away energy they think is bad energy, and thus hurting the consumers of the state of Florida.”

Hutson said the bill is needed after cities in California started to ban gas stations.

“My fear is that it could happen here in Florida, and I don’t want it to,” Hutson said.

This year, Petaluma, Calif., north of San Francisco, became the first community to ban new gas stations in a move aimed at accelerating the shift to electric vehicles.

Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, told Hutson the measures goes against the free market.

“You are preempting a city or a county’s ability to move forward legislation or codes for themselves that says, no new gas stations,” Cruz said. “So, you are indeed affecting the market when you are telling business owners what they can or cannot open.”

The House voted 79-38 to approve the proposal Wednesday.