State ‘net zero’ bill could limit St. Pete climate policies

A new bill, House Bill 1217, known as the “net zero” bill, would limit St. Petersburg’s authority in sectors like energy policy, environmental standards and climate regulations. Though Gov. Ron DeSantis has not yet signed the bill, City Council is already preparing for its potential impact.

Under HB 1217, cities would be barred from adopting stricter rules than the state in certain areas. In practice, that means St. Pete’s long-term plans to reduce emissions, incorporate climate resilience and enforce greener development standards could be preempted by state-set limits.

Even existing programs could be affected. The City has been pushing its Integrated Sustainability Action Plan (ISAP), described as “a data-driven blueprint for integrating sustainability and resiliency across departments,” guiding policies that touch everything from infrastructure to economic development.

Officials say ISAP shapes projects like energy efficiency retrofits, electric vehicle infrastructure and “green infrastructure development as part of city projects and land use planning.”

That framework has translated into hundreds of millions of dollars in resilience investments, including stormwater upgrades, seawall repairs and broader infrastructure efforts aimed at addressing flooding and sea-level rise.

St. Pete’s 2026 budget also prioritizes climate resilience and infrastructure, as almost $600 million is allocated for it of a nearly $1 billion spending plan.

Some of those projects could be challenged. Additionally, HB 1217 includes penalties for municipalities that attempt to exceed state standards.

Anticipating the bill’s passage, City Council voted Thursday to add the issue as a special meeting agenda item to further discuss its implications.

Council Member Brandi Gabbard told the Catalyst the bill “will certainly limit our ability to reduce our own carbon footprint and address climate change impacts that we are seeing in our coastal city.”

Gabbard, who chairs both the Legislative Committee and the Health, Energy, Resilience and Sustainability (HERS) Committee, said the goal is to begin evaluating impacts now.

“I wanted to get it on the docket so staff could start exploring questions,” she said, adding the city is waiting for DeSantis to sign the bill, “but for all intents and purposes, I know he will.”

Gabbard said one of the most immediate impacts could be on the city’s efforts to transition its fleet.

“As I understand it, it isn’t that we are not allowed to buy electric vehicles,” she said. “We just cannot have specific procurement goals around it. But that is only my understanding and I have not been given legal guidance on that as of yet. Much more to come as we pivot around Tallahassee’s continued preemptions.”