MARY ELLEN KLAS – HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU

The parent company of Florida utility giant Florida Power & Light announced Monday that it will buy the largest electricity producer in Northwest Florida, Gulf Power, in a $6.4 billion deal.

Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy Inc. said in a news release that it plans to buy Gulf Power from Atlanta-based Southern Company, along with the Florida City Gas natural-gas company and ownership interests in two power plants in Central Florida, if regulators approve.

If approved, the deals would expand NextEra Energy’s already dominant footprint in Florida, where FPL is one of the state’s largest contributors to political campaigns. Adding Gulf Power would put the combined residential customer base at about 51 percent, according to a 2016 report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Continue reading…