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Emily L. Mahoney - Energy Reporter
Emily L. Mahoney

Energy Reporter

My job is to cover energy — which may sound like an abstract topic, but is something that impacts your life all the time. To keep our lights on, we all depend on private companies and government leaders to make complex decisions that determine how much we pay and how the environment is impacted. I'm interested in digging into which neighborhoods bear the brunt of those decisions, plus how they contribute to — or are influenced by — climate change. I was previously the senior political writer as well as a reporter in our Tallahassee bureau, so I'm well-acquainted with the world of influence. I'm originally from Arizona, a state that instilled in me a love of hiking and tacos al pastor. Have a tip or story idea? Drop me a line.

  1. A Milton mystery solved: Who left thousands of cots in Trop as roof shredded
    Yesterday• Hurricane
    Drone images above Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, show the shredded roof of the dome and the cots on the field, set up for first responders, among the debris from Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
  2. Floridians impacted by Milton, Helene can soon get help replacing food
    Oct. 26• Local Weather
    Debris is placed in front of people’s homes in a neighborhood along Gulf Boulevard on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Indian Rocks Beach.
  3. Tampa Electric wants ‘egregious’ profit from Floridians to help ailing finances, lawyers allege
    Oct. 22• Business
    The power plant at the TECO Big Bend Power Station on Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Apollo Beach.
  5. What to know about FEMA checks, other federal Florida aid after Milton
    Oct. 17• Hurricane
    Signs line the road as President Joe Biden’s motorcade passes by on Sunday in St. Petersburg.
  6. Why some Tampa Bay residents got power back quickly while others still wait
    Oct. 14• Hurricane
    Power workers staging in the parking lot of the St. Petersburg Tennis Center, 650 18th Ave S, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in St. Petersburg.
  7. Duke Energy estimates Pinellas, Pasco counties won’t have power back until Tuesday after Milton
    Oct. 11• Hurricane
    Power crews are pictured by Tropicana Field, ready to restore power lost as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the Florida panhandle, past Tampa Bay, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 in St. Petersburg.
  8. DeSantis says St. Petersburg crane developer should’ve used more ‘common sense’
    Oct. 11• Hurricane
    A construction crane is pictured after falling over during Hurricane Milton into an office building that houses the Tampa Bay Times headquarters, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.
  9. In Florida’s Progress Village, Hurricane Milton brought boat rescues, flooding
    Oct. 10• Hurricane
    Twanda Bradley, Progress Village Civic Council President, surveys a neighbor’s flooded yard on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Progress Village Community.
  10. Duke, Tampa Electric prep for widespread power outages after Milton
    Oct. 8• Hurricane
    Utility workers gather together before they get deployed to help out with Tropical Storm Helene at TECO Energy on Sept. 25 in Tampa.
  11. For seniors, others needing Tampa Bay evacuation help, here’s where to turn
    Oct. 7• Hurricane
    Mobile showers are seen lined up outside of Tropicana Field ahead of Hurricane Milton on Monday.
  12. Tampa Bay’s Helene victims face headaches at busy storage facilities, full hotels
    Oct. 4• Hurricane
    Paul Vaitkus, 56, of Pass-a-Grille loads up his storage unit with items salvaged from their home on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in St. Petersburg. Paul Vaitkus and his wife Laurie Vaitkus home was flooded due to Hurricane Helene.
  13. Duke Energy: It may take weeks for Pinellas beaches to fully regain power post-Helene
    Sept. 30• Hurricane
    Utility trucks wait to be deployed to help out with Tropical Storm Helene at TECO Energy East Hillsborough on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Tampa.
  14. In Tampa’s Palmetto Beach, residents swim to survive dangerous storm surge
    Sept. 27• Hurricane
    John Broderick III, 42, a neighborhood resident, carries his cat, Emilio Estevez, as he walks to meet his dad near Palmetto Beach on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, in Tampa.
  15. Florida forestry official questioned DeSantis-backed swap of state forest to golf company
    Sept. 13• Environment
    Just to the east of the protected Withlacoochee State Forest is Cabot Citrus Farms, a luxury Brooksville golf resort. The Florida Cabinet on June 12 quietly approved giving this state forest land to Cabot Citrus in exchange for timberland in Cedar Key. Environmental experts say the state forest land is necessary for conservation, which contrasts the statements made by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
  16. 17 more Florida state parks were considered for golf courses, lodge, pickleball
    Sept. 10• Environment
    Paddlers enjoy Silver Springs State Park near Ocala. The park was listed on a Department of Environmental document as a site where officials had considered adding pickleball and disc golf courses.
  17. Florida state parks whistleblower personnel files released by DeSantis admin
    Sept. 6• Environment
    James Gaddis was employed as a cartographer with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Park Planning for more than two years, where he specialized in Florida State Parks, he said.
  18. Florida Democratic Congress members want investigation into state park plans
    Sept. 5• Environment
    Susan Francois, 62, left, Michelle Birnbaum, 59, center, and Kathie Nutter, 67, right, all of Dunedin, hold signs and wave to drivers at the entrance to Honeymoon Island State Park during a rally Aug. 25 in Dunedin. The rally was to protest plans to add pickleball courts at the park.
  19. Tampa Electric defends plan to charge residents millions more so big companies save
    Sept. 3• Business
    Tampa Electric Company's Big Bend power plant operates on February 20, 2019, in Apollo Beach.
  20. DeSantis says Florida will go ‘back to the drawing board’ on state park plan
    Aug. 28• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    People gather at the entrance to Honeymoon Island State Park on Tuesday to speak and demonstrate against the Great Outdoors Initiative proposal to add golf courses, hotels, pickleball courts and other developments to nine Florida state parks.
  21. Tampa Electric CEO pressed for answers on utility’s rate hike request
    Aug. 27• Business
    Tampa Electric president and CEO Archie Collins answers questions during a Tallahassee hearing of the Florida Public Service Commission on Monday.
  22. Months ago, Florida OK’d giving 324 acres of state forest to golf course company
    Aug. 26• Environment
    A couple bikes an extension of Good Neighbor Trail, which runs from downtown Brooksville to Withlacoochee State Forest, in November 2018. In June, the Florida Cabinet approved a land swap deal that would give more than 300 acres of state forest land to a golf course company in exchange for roughly 800 acres of timberland.
  23. Veterans group previously pitched building golf courses at Florida state park
    Aug. 24• Environment
    A flatwoods trail at Jonathan Dickinson State Park is pictured here. Local and state officials said a veterans nonprofit had recently pitched them an idea to build a golf course on state park land. The idea resurfaced earlier this week when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection uploaded several proposals to its website.
  24. Florida agency postpones meetings about state park plans, citing ‘overwhelming interest’
    Aug. 23• Environment
    Florida environmental officials postponed statewide meetings to be held Tuesday about changes to Florida state parks due to "overwhelming interest."