Debris and mud covered Steinhatchee after Hurricane Helene, including at this station in the small coastal town. Oct. 3, 2024. (Photo: Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
Gov. Ron DeSantis blames a combination of a loophole in state law and gas station owners’ reluctance to deploy electric generators for delays in bringing more gas stations online after Hurricane Milton took down power supplies for millions of Floridians.
Access to fuel became a major story line in the aftermath of the storm. Ports shut down and gas stations were without electricity, unable to operate their pumps. The state has sponsored mobile fuel-dispensing stations and had state troopers escort fuel tankers to stations with power.
The shortage has led DeSantis to consider rethinking a law designed to keep stations in service immediately after a storm, he said during a news conference Monday at SeaPort Manatee in Palmetto.
Florida law requires gas stations built after 2006 along emergency evacuation routes to be able to accept power from generators. Being able to accept generator power might not mean a generator is on hand, though — the law requires corporations that own 10 or more gas stations in a county to have one portable generator for every 10 stores.
The law “was written in a way that if you want to conduct your operations to not be covered by that you can,” DeSantis said.
Despite being compatible with power provided by a generator, many stations were left without generators themselves unless delivered by the state. On Friday, 19 generators were delivered to gas stations, Florida Phoenix reported.
But some stores showed a reluctance to hook up to a generator in hope that power from the electric grid would be back soon, the governor said.
“I think a lot of the gas stations were talking to the power companies, and they were within 48 hours, was the timeline, anyway. So, by the time you bring a generator, you have to hook everything up, and that your lights can end up just coming on automatically as well.”
Pre-staged linemen, the governor said, have “maybe” made it cheaper to wait for the power to be restored rather than manage a generator.
Intervention from the state to eliminate the loopholes is possible, although not likely, according to DeSantis.
“We’ll look at the generator issue,” DeSantis said. “My sense is, is that you have to figure out, okay, how much do you want to be dictating from the state or how much do you want to just work collaboratively on some of this stuff? And to say we’re just going to mandate almost anything, I don’t know that that’s necessarily the best approach.”
He added that fuel supply is in the private sector and Florida is “not Venezuela.”
Until 7 p.m. Monday, the governor said, the state government would hand out free gas up to 10 gallons for cars only at certain distribution sites. The sites, located in Bradenton, Plant City, St. Petersburg, Arcadia, Port Charlotte, North Port, Tarpon Springs, Tampa, Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, and Largo, can be found here.
“We have fuel for the public,” DeSantis said. “Not even charging you. Free gas, imagine that. Helps to have a budget surplus.”
Recovery resources for Floridians are available at floridadisaster.org/updates.
Gov. on DeSantis appeared during a news conference at SeaPort Manatee on Oct. 14, 2024. (Screenshot DeSantis Facebook)
Port support
The governor announced that the state will send SeaPort Manatee $9.5 million award to help it recover from the storm. The “jump start” will help repair damaged infrastructure. More than half of the funding, $5.5 million, will go toward emergency berth repairs and dredging in state waters.
Immediate security needs will take up $3.5 million of the funding with the remaining $500,000 for planning additional fortification of the port’s infrastructure.
State agencies will get in on the recovery, too. Florida Department of Transportation “subject matter experts” will lend their time as the port recuperates, as will the Florida National Guard.
According to Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the state for some of the projects, although not all.
Every dollar invested in the Seaport Manatee projects will bring a $7 return on investment, DeSantis said.
“We’re happy to be able to do this award, and I think it’ll make a big difference,” DeSantis said. “And I know there’s a lot of other stuff that’s going to be going on outside just what the state is doing.”
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.