FPL customers not getting money's worth from green program

subscribe

Nearly 39,000 Florida Power & Light customers gave the company $11.4 million over four years to develop green energy, but a report shows most of the money went toward administrative and marketing costs.

According to a 19-page report written by the staff of Florida's Public Service Commission, FPL's Sunshine Energy Program suffers from several problems and "does not currently serve the interest of the program's participants."

The voluntary program charges FPL customers $9.75 per month — on top of the regular energy bill — to help develop alternative power sources. Nearly 39,000 FPL customers participate in it.

According to FPL's web site, for every 10,000 subscribers, the company will develop 150 kilowatts of solar energy in Florida and buy 1,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy credits.

Public Service Commission staff said only 24 percent of the $11.4 million collected from customers went toward developing renewable energy. The rest went to marketing and administrative costs.

The PSC staff wrote in the report that the program "must be redesigned to address state renewable energy policies and to better serve the interest of the program's participants." The staff will discuss its findings with the commission during a meeting in Tallahassee on July 1.

The report also criticized FPL's handling of promised solar power projects. One of the few projects actually completed was the installation of solar panels on an upscale residential neighborhood in Naples.

"There could have been other projects that would have provided greater benefits to the program's participants," wrote Public Service Commission staff.

FPL spokeswoman Amy Brunjes says the company is evaluating the report and has already filed paperwork with the Public Service Commission to modify the Sunshine Energy Program.

Holly Binns, field director for the Tallahassee-based group Environment Florida, is dismayed by the findings.

"This report is really disappointing for customers, who, I think in good faith, spent their hard earned money to jump start renewable energy in Florida."

Related News

U.S. Ends Support for Ukraine’s Energy Grid Restoration

U.S. Ends Support for Ukraine’s Energy Grid Restoration

KYIV - The U.S. government has recently decided to terminate its support for Ukraine's energy grid restoration, a critical initiative managed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This decision, reported by NBC News, comes at a time when Ukraine is grappling with significant challenges to its energy infrastructure due to ongoing Russian attacks. The termination of support was reportedly finalized before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's scheduled visit to Washington, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy and raising concerns about the broader implications for Ukraine's energy resilience and its negotiations with Russia.

The Critical Role of U.S. Support

READ MORE
electricity changes

3 ways 2021 changed electricity - What's Next

READ MORE

heat-exacerbates-electricity-struggles

Heat Exacerbates Electricity Struggles for 13,000 Families in America

READ MORE

rio-tinto-mine

Rio Tinto seeking solutions that transform heat from underground mines into electricity

READ MORE

electric vehicle charging

Michigan utilities propose more than $20M in EV charging programs

READ MORE