Romano: They're all about free-market competition — unless it hurts the power companies

Let me see if I have this straight:

The attorney general and Florida's Chamber of Commerce have both joined with mega utility companies to fight a constitutional amendment on solar power that embraces a competitive marketplace.

Surely, that's a mistake. An oversight of some kind. Why would the state's top consumer advocate and its biggest economic cheerleader want to stifle the free market?

It couldn't possibly have anything to do with politics, could it?

Or, to put it more bluntly, their twisted legal arguments couldn't possibly be tied to the wheelbarrows of cash the utility companies regularly dump in the state Capitol?

"It's unbelievably baseless," Tory Perfetti, the director of Floridians for Solar Choice, said of the recent objections these groups filed with the state Supreme Court. "There is nothing they can point to that will show this is bad for consumers. It's almost bordering on ridiculous."

Now, I totally get why Duke Energy and other utilities oppose a potential amendment that would allow you, the consumer, to buy solar energy from someone else.

That type of law would put a dent in their state-sanctioned monopoly. Their motivation is greed, and there's nothing wrong with a business protecting its market advantages.

And it also is true that changing the Constitution should be a last-ditch option that should not be taken lightly.

But the fact that Pam Bondi and the chamber have rushed to the defense of these corporate giants sort of proves why this amendment is necessary.

For the simple truth is Florida's leaders are a bunch of lemmings running in unison in whichever direction the power companies tell them.

The Miami Herald recently tallied political contributions and discovered utility companies have donated $12 million to the campaigns of state lawmakers since 2010. And Susan Glickman, a clean energy lobbyist, points out that seven members of the chamber's board of directors are employed by the electric industry.

Anyone see a potential problem with mixed allegiances?

The worst part is that the current administration, starting with Gov. Rick Scott, is fanatical about promoting competition. This state is so enamored with the free market that it competes with itself by diverting tons of public education funds for charter schools and vouchers.

And, just so you know, Bondi is no slouch when it comes to free-market slogans.

"Price-fixing raises costs to consumers and creates an uneven playing field,'' she said while announcing a settlement with TV screen manufacturers.

"Price-fixing raises costs to consumers and kills the competitive market," she said of a suit over e-books.

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"Price-fixing harms the healthy competition that keeps prices fair for consumers," she said while announcing a settlement with computer chip manufacturers.

And yet price-fixing is a-okay when it comes to energy?

Power companies argue that only wealthy people will invest in solar energy, and that means lower-income people will foot the bill when utilities have to raise their rates.

It's an interesting concept, except that hasn't happened in states that have embraced solar power, such as Georgia.

Furthermore, power companies are forever trying to gouge consumers — to the tune of billions — for nuclear plant construction and fracking operations, supposedly to keep up with future energy demands. So, if demand is truly that high, doesn't it suggest the marketplace might benefit from competition?

The bottom line is this wouldn't be a problem if the Public Service Commission did its job and actually regulated electric monopolies. Or if state legislators showed more interest in reining in their sugar daddies. Or if Florida wasn't lagging behind so many other states in solar power.

Sadly, that's not the case.

And now, the attorney general and business leaders also have sided with corporate interests instead of consumers.

If you truly believe in free-market ideals, you should have the courage to fight for them all the time. Not just when it's convenient for your political career.