Gulf Power, Other Big Utilities Ask To Scale Back Energy Efficiency Goals

July 22, 2014

Gulf Power and Florida’s other big electric providers are asking state regulators this week to let them scale back energy-efficiency programs — such as rebates for installing solar panels and power-saving appliances — that they say have become expensive and benefit few customers.

But conservationists argue that dramatically reducing energy-efficiency programs will only result in higher monthly bills for customers as the utilities eventually will need to build more natural-gas and nuclear power plants.

On Monday, Gulf Power Company, Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric Co and JEA in Jacksonville began presenting testimony to the Florida Public Service Commission that they should be allowed to roll back energy-efficiency goals, as demand for the conservation programs has declined.

“We think it’s in the best interest of our 1.7 million customers to reduce that energy conservation goal and let us look at programs that could benefit the whole entire customer base,” Duke spokesman Sterling Ivey said. “It could be a community solar offering versus a rebate to an individual to put a solar panel on a roof, perhaps we can build a community solar array that all our customers pay into it and all would benefit.”

Rep. Dwight Dudley, D-St. Petersburg, said customers’ electricity bills have dropped due to conservation efforts and “slashing” the energy-efficiency programs will simply allow the power companies to make more money.

“This is not in the interest of the public, this is not in the interest of the people,” Dudley told the commission.

The hearing is expected to last three days. Two extra days have been set aside next week if the review runs long.

The commission isn’t expected to make a ruling on any of the requests until late fall.

by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Pictured: Concerned citizens and conservation groups are attending the three-day meeting of the Florida Public Service Commission in Tallahassee to protest rollbacks in conservation rebates for energy consumers.  Top photo by  Ivan Penn, Florida News Connection , inset photo by Tom Urban, News Service of Florida, for  NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

2 Responses to “Gulf Power, Other Big Utilities Ask To Scale Back Energy Efficiency Goals”

  1. Jane on July 22nd, 2014 4:28 am

    Here’s a thought: email, write, and call your legislature and tell them NO! to this proposal and ask them to make the energy market competitive! Don’t just complain…complain in a way that will actually help!

  2. Jane on July 22nd, 2014 4:25 am

    First they raise the rates and then they want to remove the energy savings rebates so that people can’t afford to replace old appliances. Time to make the energy market competitive!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News