Seminole County Chamber Puts Energy on the Congressional Agenda

Anyone running a business understands that rising energy costs are an issue, and business leaders in Seminole County, Florida, wanted to know what their congressional candidates planned to do about them.

At a recent Seminole County Chamber congressional candidate forum, seven candidates running in the primary for Florida's 7th Congressional District were asked, “How can the federal government stabilize rising energy costs and reduce dependence on foreign oil, particularly through renewables and energy storage?”

Energy has always been a business issue. The Seminole County Chamber’s forum showed how affordability, reliability, and rising demand are quickly pushing it up the agenda. 

It makes sense because energy costs are business costs. Reliability affects existing employers and a community's ability to recruit new ones. Growing communities will need additional generation and infrastructure to support new residents, manufacturers, data centers, and other economic development.

Seminole County Shows How a Candidate Forum’s Done

The forum's structure highlighted important issues for business owners and executives. Three moderators participated in the forum, all local business owners or executives. Each received four questions in advance, with the expectation that time would allow for each moderator to ask only two. Energy was one of the first questions selected.

The chamber event also showed why an all-of-the-above approach can work for chambers. They can discuss nuclear, natural gas, renewables, storage, and other resources related to affordability, reliability, and future demand without requiring a chamber to approach energy through a partisan lens.

For the Seminole County Chamber, the conversation around clean energy isn’t new. The chamber has included energy in its programming through its work with Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE). In 2025, the chamber held a forum on energy and transportation. It offers free EV chargers for its members and has testified on statewide charger policies. It also joined CICE in Washington, D.C., for a fly-in to push for permitting reform. 

While other chambers may not be as engaged in energy issues as the Seminole County Chamber, this shows why energy is an important topic at candidate forums and should be included in legislative agendas. 

Questions about energy costs, generation, reliability, resilience, permitting, and infrastructure can help members understand where candidates stand and help chambers determine where energy fits into their own advocacy work.

For your next candidate forum or questionnaire, check out CICE’s guide, Questions for Candidates: Clean Energy.