Press Mention Politico September 12, 2022
SACE Referenced
Florida activists oppose latest PSC energy conservation proposal
In this mention
Environmental groups including the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Earthjustice, and Vote Solar criticized the Florida Public Service Commission's proposed changes to energy conservation rules, arguing the revised proposal makes no substantive improvements to the outdated 30-year-old rule. The groups contend the PSC's approach allows utilities to ignore energy efficiency as a lowest-cost resource and perpetuates Florida's history of unaffordable power bills.
The Commission's disappointing business-as-usual approach allows power companies to ignore lowest-cost resources like energy efficiency to meet demand. It does little to nothing to help hard-working families, and perpetuates Florida's history of unaffordable and escalating power bills.
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Florida activists oppose latest PSC energy conservation proposal
By:
Bruce Ritchie
| 09/13/2022 01:09 PM EDT
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Environmental groups are criticizing the Public Service Commission's proposed changes to a rule that require utilities to set energy conservation goals.
Earthjustice, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Vote Solar are among the groups that criticized a draft proposed rule filed Monday ahead of a Sept. 27 workshop .
The groups said the revised proposal makes no substantive changes to the agency's current 30-year-old rule that they say is outdated and led some utilities to request goals of zero conservation in 2019.
"The Commission's disappointing business-as-usual approach allows power companies to ignore lowest-cost resources like energy efficiency to meet demand," the groups said in a joint statement Tuesday. "It does little to nothing to help hard-working families, and perpetuates Florida's history of unaffordable and escalating power bills."
Other groups signing the statement were the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Catalyst Miami, the CLEO Institute and Southface Institute.
Commission spokesperson Cynthia Muir did not respond to a request for comment on the group's criticisms but said the agency's next review of utility goals will be in 2024.