Press Mention Broward Palm Beach New Times (The Daily Pulp blog) November 26, 2012
SACE Quoted
FPL Bills to Increase Come January
In this mention
Florida's Public Service Commission approved a $294 million rate increase for FPL and Progress Energy Florida to cover costs for future nuclear facilities, raising customer bills by at least $2.59 monthly. Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, criticized the increase as a "nuclear tax" for reactors unlikely to be built, noting that the proposed reactors won't be constructed for a decade.
This is an extremely unfortunate situation for utility customers in Florida who are being forced to pay this `nuclear tax' up front for electricity that will very likely never be produced from proposed new reactors
Stephen A. Smith
Full transcript
FPL Bills to Increase Come January
By Chris Joseph Tue., Nov. 27 2012 at 12:27 PM
Florida Power & Light Co. and Progress Energy Florida won approval by the state on Monday to charge customers $294 million in costs for future nuclear facilities in 2013.
Which means your monthly FPL bill will go up by at least $2.59. Hooorrray, Florida!
On Tuesday, Florida's Public Service Commission approved a $246 million annual rate hike for FPL. The costs are linked with expanding two nuclear power plants in St. Lucie and Turkey Point.
Back in September, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy challenged the rate hike, calling it a "nuclear tax'" for reactors that would very likely never be built or fixed.
FPL has disputed those claims, saying the reactor upgrades at the plants in St. Lucie and Turkey Point would be completed by the end of this year. It also claims that nuclear power saves everyone money in the long run because of low fuel expenses.
According to The Ledger, those nuclear reactors won't be built for a decade.
"This is an extremely unfortunate situation for utility customers in Florida who are being forced to pay this `nuclear tax' up front for electricity that will very likely never be produced from proposed new reactors," said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
The five-member Public Service Commission is also considering FPL's proposal to increase its base rates by $4.10 in January and $1.74 in June.
These figures are for customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours in a month. Currently FPL serves 4.5 million customers in South Florida and along the state's east coast.