A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday allowed Florida to enforce a law restricting real estate purchases by Chinese citizens, ruling that the measure does not violate federal law or discriminate against Asians.
The 2–1 decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld the state’s 2023 law, which bars individuals “domiciled” in China — but not U.S. citizens or green card holders — from buying property in Florida. The ruling overturns a previous injunction that had blocked enforcement of the law.
The court said that four Chinese nationals represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lacked standing to challenge the law since they have long resided in Florida. It also rejected arguments that the measure conflicted with federal regulations governing foreign investments or was motivated by racial bias.
Writing for the majority, Judge Robert Luck said the law was driven by “national, individual, land, and food security concerns.”
In dissent, Judge Charles Wilson argued that regulating foreign investment is a federal responsibility and that the state law should be preempted.
Governor Ron DeSantis had defended the law as a step to curb “Chinese Communist Party influence.”
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New Pandora’s Box opening for solar consumers
Pakistan’s power distribution companies (Discos) have sought approval from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to impose fixed charges on solar net metering users, arguing that the rapid expansion of rooftop solar systems is undermining their financial stability.
The proposal—backed by the Ministry of Energy—suggests levying fixed charges on electricity exported by net metering users to offset financial losses. It comes amid a drop in national grid demand and excess capacity in the gas and power sectors, as high electricity tariffs drive more households and industries toward solar energy.
A previous government plan to slash the solar buyback rate to Rs. 10 per unit faced intense public backlash and was eventually rejected by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
During Tuesday’s session, Nepra also reviewed multi-year tariff petitions for the 2025–26 to 2029–30 period.
