Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumSenate advances bill to let FPL customers pay fracking costs
TALLAHASSEE
Florida Power & Lights quest to have customers pay for natural gas fracking projects in other states overcame a key hurdle Tuesday as the Senate Rules Committee passed the controversial measure and overlooked opposition from residential and commercial customers.
The proposal, SB 1238 by Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, now goes to the Senate floor. A similar measure in the House, HB 1043, has made it through one of three committees in that chamber.
The goal of the legislation is to overturn a Florida Supreme Court ruling last year that found the Public Service Commission exceeded its authority when it gave FPL permission to charge customers up to $500 million for investing in an Oklahoma-based fracking company in 2015. Although the company predicted the project would save customers millions in fuel costs, it resulted in a loss of $5.6 million in the first year.
The Rules Committee adopted a series of amendments proposed by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who opposes the measure, and approved the modified bill on a bipartisan vote of 7-3.
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Consumer groups ranging from the states largest industrial users and the Florida Retail Federation to AARP opposed the measure, arguing the policy will cost FPL customers millions and lock the states largest utility into an increased reliance on fossil fuels for decades to come.
More: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article146750094.html
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)egold2604
(369 posts)HAB911
(8,890 posts)Duke customers are paying to decommission the Crystal River site from a botched repair job AND for a nuke station that will NEVER BE BUILT
I'm glad I don't have either, but I'm sure Tampa Electric/Emera is screwing me somehow