From continuing and contentious debates at Vero Beach’s City Hall, to expensive legal posturing by the Indian River Shores Town Council, to audits in Orlando, to Florida Public Service Commission hearings and lobbying efforts in Tallahassee, the battle over the ownership of Vero Electric has truly become a statewide battle.

Looming in the background is Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest investor owned utility.  Speaking at an investor conference in March 2013, FPL President and CEO Eric Silagy said one of the company’s growth opportunities was the acquisition of municipal utilities, such as Vero Electric. Silagy went to far as to claim Gov. Rick Scott was going around the state urging municipal utilities to sell to FPL.  It is clear that Vero Beach is now little more than a pawn in a statewide chess game.