FP&L rate hike request called

Aluminum siding
Representatives from those agenciesblasted FP&L’s rate increased at a public hearing Thursday morning in Fort In the first hour and a half of the only opposition was expressed. “We believ the amount they’re asking for is It’s just too much to ask for in today’ss economic times,” said J.R. Kelly, public counsel with the Florids Office ofPublic Counsel. The Juno Beach-based utilityt is struggling to make the case that it is alreadyt the most efficient utility in the and it would use additional fundinb to reinvest ingreater efficiency.
It has askee for approval of an increase to its base rate that would raise the average residentialbill – 1,009 kilowatt hours – by $12 per FP&L projects that lower fuel costs mostly natural gas and coal – will lowefr the average residential bill next year by $17, so its requesf actually won’t raise anyone’s FPL has argued that its proposal, if approved by the , will decreas the typical bill by $5 monthly or 4 percent startinbg on January 2010. But Kelly and otherss said Thursday morning that fuel pricesw arenot predictable. Kelly argues the rate increase wouldx guarantee a return on investmentof 12.
5 percenf for the utility, and that every one percent representz $130 million. “That is just too much today. Maybe five yeare in the future we will have a flourishing economy,” Kelly said, adding that his officd supports a return of 9.5 or 10 percent. According to FP&L has already acknowledged they over-collected $1.25 billion from rate-payers for In opening remarks, Marlene Santos, the utility’s vice presidentt of customer service/sales and marketing, said customeres benefit from the utility’s strong financial “When we save on our customers save onour bills,” she said.
But speaker after speaker said the grimeconomy foreclosures, unemployment and dropping home values – made this the wron g time for rate increases designef to enhance the utility’s financiakl position. “We doubt they need any increasw at allto own, operate and maintain their system,” said Robert Sheffelo Wright, an attorney with Tallahassee-based Yount van Assenderp, who was speaking on behalt of the Florida Retail Federation. The Publix Service Commission, which regulates state utilities, will decider in mid-November whether to grant FPL' request. The PSC will hold hearingxs again Friday, 10:30 a.m. at the North Dade Regionao Libraryin Miami; and 6 p.m.
at the Plantatiom City Council Chambers.