Florida needs a real energy plan and real regulation

As the St Pete Times points on in their editorial, A weak energy plan Florida's Public Service Commission hasn't done much to promote energy conservation or efficiency. We're a backwards state.

With utilities spending huge amounts to promote their antiquated system of regulation, we can't move forward. Utilities shouldn't be allowed to spend ratepayer money stacking hearings or paying PR and lobbying firms.

It's no wonder the Retail Federation and the Industrial Power Users Group are fighting against the latest rate cases at the PSC. They keep getting gouged and passing along the costs to their customers -- us. But the utilities make money by selling more and more electricity and get a percentage profit on every dollar they invest in power plants. The well lobbied Legislature even allows them to make consumers into investors to pay for the nukes, because the market, so honored by the Legislature all the rest of the time, won't pay for nukes.

With this set up, consumer lose, again and again. FCAN thanks Gov. Crist for courageous appointments to the PSC that will potentially make Commissioner Nancy Argenziano the Chair in 2010. This will shake things up, but then Gov. Crist will be gone and we could go back to business as usual.

FCAN is calling on the Legislature to change the PSC nominating process to get better applicants with fewer ties to utilities. FCAN is calling on the Legislature to repeal the law allowing gold plated nukes to be built at our expense, whether they're needed or not. New rules are needed preventing contacts between utilities and PSC staff, as the recent scandals demonstrate.

Anyone hoping to become Governor might look at how popular Gov. Crist became by standing up to utilities and for consumers. One might also consider that retailers and industry are also concerned about utility rates. Time for some changes.