Protesters charged up as Florida electric companies ask state regulator to let them scale back energy-efficiency programs

Protesters charged up as Florida
electric companies ask state regulator
to let them scale back energy-
efficiency programs
By Jim Turner Mon, Jul 21, 2014 @ 6:18 pm

Florida's biggest electric providers are asking state regulators
this week to let them scale back energy-efficiency programs —
such as rebates for installing solar panels and power-saving
appliances — that they say have become expensive and benefit
few customers.

But conservationists argue that dramatically reducing energy-efficiency programs will only
result in higher monthly bills for customers as the utilities eventually will need to build more
natural-gas and nuclear power plants.
On Monday, Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric Co., Gulf Power Co.
and JEA in Jacksonville began presenting testimony to the Florida Public Service
Commission that they should be allowed to roll back energy-efficiency goals, as demand for
the conservation programs has declined.
"We think it's in the best interest of our 1.7 million customers to reduce that energy
conservation goal and let us look at programs that could benefit the whole entire customer
base," Duke spokesman Sterling Ivey said. "It could be a community solar offering versus a
rebate to an individual to put a solar panel on a roof, perhaps we can build a community solar
array that all our customers pay into it and all would benefit."
Richard Vento, JEA's director of customers solutions and market development, was at the
commission hearing Monday. He said JEA is asking the commission to refrain from imposing
energy-efficiency requirements on Jacksonville's municipally owned utility.
Since the commission doesn't hold rate-setting power over JEA — and efficiency
requirement could cause JEA to raise rates to meet them — the commission should leave
those decisions for JEA's board of directors to decide locally.
"Traditionally, the PSC recognizes that and leaves it up to the JEA board to establish the
level of investment in energy efficiency," he said.
Rep. Dwight Dudley, D-St. Petersburg, said customers' electricity bills have dropped due to
conservation efforts and "slashing" the energy-efficiency programs will simply allow the power
companies to make more money.
"This is not in the interest of the public, this is not in the interest of the people," Dudley told
the commission.
The hearing is expected to last three days. Two extra days have been set aside next week if
the review runs long.
The commission isn't expected to make a ruling on any of the requests until late fall.
Before the hearing began Monday, Dudley joined about 100 conservationists, many up since
3 a.m. as they bused from the Tampa region, demanding the energy-efficiency programs be
retained or expanded.
"The opportunity to take action on climate is right now," Kelly Martin, of the Sierra Club, said
during a pre-hearing rally outside the Public Service Commission building. "Climate change is
not some far off thing in the future. Severe weather, extreme weather is happening right now
on our doorsteps."
Susan Glickman, Florida director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund,
said the proposal will "effectively eliminate energy efficiency programs in Florida" as FPL
seeks to expand its nuclear plants in South Florida and Duke is planning a new natural-gas
plant in Citrus County.
"The utilities feign that their concern is for poor people in our communities," Glickman said. "If
the concern was for poor people why don't they help them lower their bill by offering
cost-effective energy efficiency?"
Utility officials say the economic advantage of conservation has waned as natural gas has
grown in use. Also, government efficiency rules have resulted in more energy-efficient
construction and in people using products such as lower emitting light bulbs.
Utility officials declined to estimate what the projected savings could be on monthly bills if
they are allowed to scale back the programs.
State Public Counsel J.R. Kelly, whose office represents consumers in utility issues, said
some of the proposals are "extremely low" and expects the commission to find a middle
ground in its decisions.
"We're very cognizant of the impact of rates on our constituents," said Kelly, whose office is
taking a limited role in the hearings. "You have some of my clients want all the conservation
in the world and don't care what the rates are. I've got others, seniors, low income, that say,
'Look I just can't conserve anymore, so don't make my rates go up.' "
Times-Union writer Nate Monroe contributed to this story