Florida’s utilities are trying to raise our utility rates to benefit investors and fossil fuel interests. If we don’t speak up, our bills will go up, and we can’t afford to line corporations’ pockets.
In August, FPL settled with some clean energy advocacy groups, including the below agreements. Executive Director Aliki Moncrief issued this statement calling on even more clean energy improvements from Florida’s largest energy provider. Have questions about the settlements? Reach out to Climate and Clean Energy Advocate Zac Cosner at [email protected]
Original Proposal
- Residential Customers +18% (2022-24)
Joint Motion for Approval of the Settlement Agreement
- Signed by Florida Power and Light, the Office of Public Counsel, Florida Industrial Power Users Group, Florida Retail Federation, and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
- Raises rates on residential customers +16% (2022-23)
- Approx. $2B additional investment in “SolarTogether” and $200M total investment in EV charging stations
- Solar Together is a controversial program; allows for FPL to essentially double bill customers for the generation of solar
- “Massive transfer of wealth from the residential class to participating commercial/industrial customers” [source]
- A couple hundred million dollars added via capital cost, likely to be a far greater financial burden over the life-time of these investments [source]
- Financial benefits of solar, in the form of bill credits, will not be distributed to customers
- Special exemptions for commercial and industrial customers, to be subsidized by a increase for residential customers [source]
- $25 minimum bill for residential customers
- Recovery of all natural gas investments, problematically labeled as efficient and clean facilities that are needed by residential customers
- About 15% of the nearly $2 billion rate increase request “would go toward expanding the natural-gas burning capacity at several plants” [source]
- Exposes customers to greater financial risk associated with natural gas price volatility
- Will replace previous coal capacity, but “ratepayers will still continue to bear the cost of the old coal investments” [source]
- Includes approx. $20 million in industry association dues effectively requiring customers to pay for utility membership costs [source]
Secondary settlement by CLEO and Votesolar includes the above and the following:
- FPL will expand disconnect protections by lowering the local heat threshold for holding off on disconnecting customers from their power to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and adding protections against freezing temperatures and hurricane-related outages.
- FPL will establish a Resilient Schools pilot program to invest $5 million to deploy electric school busses, solar panels, and battery storage at public schools that serve as emergency shelters for low-income communities, in addition to exploring federal and state funding.
The Florida Public Service Commission regulates how much utilities can charge you and what they can spend that money on. Before they make any decision, they need to hear from Florida Power & Light customers like you.
This power bill increase is not yet final. We need your voice now. Please submit a public comment today!